In the Face of the Enemy
by LinCoop
Summary: When old friends from Jess's childhood become new neighbours to the inhabitants of the Sherman Ranch, painful memories are dredged up for Jess. But when their enemies turn up too, worse is to come…
1. Chapter 1

**In the Face of the Enemy**

by Linda Cooper

Prologue - Thursday's Child

The year was 1846, and Martha Harper's first son was born on Thursday, April 23rd at around two hours before dawn, after a remarkably short labour. Martha thought he was the most beautiful baby she'd ever seen. He had a mop of soft, dark curly hair and his blue eyes were shaded by long, dark lashes. The baby stared up at his mother intently, a curious little quirk of his left eyebrow seeming to question his welcome in the world. Martha hugged her child to her heart as if to reassure him.

Her first-born, Francie, was dark-haired but her eyes although blue at birth had gradually changed to hazel, and then brown. Now, at two years of age, Francie's eyes were so dark as to be almost black. Martha made a wish that her son's eyes would remain that same intense shade of blue as he grew up. Gazing lovingly at her son, Martha recited in her mind the words from a rhyme she'd been using to teach Francie the days of the week:

 _Monday's child is fair of face,  
Tuesday's child is full of grace,  
Wednesday's child is full of woe,_

 _Thursday's child has…_

Martha felt a shiver of presentiment waft across her slender shoulders.

 _Thursday's child_ _has far to go…_

She prayed fervently to God that her baby's life wouldn't be an unduly hard one and then she dismissed her sudden unease as a new mother's imaginings. It was strange how pregnancy and birth could turn a woman's mind downside up. _At least my boy had the sense not to be born on a Wednesday_.

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In the South at that time, some 15 years before the outbreak of the civil war, sharecropping was uncommon. Most southern landowners of significant status used slaves to work their land as slave labour was easy to obtain. However, a few of the smaller landowners, particularly in this remote area of the Texas Panhandle some 75 miles from anything that could be regarded as a town, found that sharecropping was the easiest solution, if not as profitable.

Martha's husband James was a sharecropper. He was a man who believed in God and justice although he wasn't as religious as his beloved wife. James had extended the wooden shack supplied by the landowner to provide his wife with a plain but good-sized home, anticipating the large family that they both hoped for. He was a man who wasn't afraid of hard work and he more than satisfied the expectations of the landowner as well as providing sufficient food to feed his family and to allow for storage and preservation of the excess to help them through the winter months. He was proud of his first-born son and looked forward to the years ahead when the sturdy boy would be old enough to work alongside him.

The new baby seemed always to be hungry but although restless and constantly in motion, he was a happy and smiling child who cried only when he felt himself to be overly restricted, and then all hell let loose and he yelled and struggled until he had the freedom of movement he desired. The delighted parents christened their baby son Jesse after a favourite passage of Martha's in the bible which referred to the shepherd father of King David.

By the time Jesse was two years old, the innate stubbornness and quick temper attributed to his birth sign had become well established in his personality, along with a strong sense of fun. James and Martha also quickly discovered that this child who had been in such a hurry to be born in those chill hours before sunrise, and who seemed always to pulsate with such an intense and restless energy whether awake or asleep, found it very hard to get out of bed in the morning.

Martha was proud of her son, but when he expressed a strong dislike to the 'e' at the end of his name and asserted himself by refusing to answer to anything other than the name Jess, she was sadly disappointed. Not all of Martha's quoting of _Isaiah 11:1-2_ __ _The Righteous Reign of the Branch_ could change their son's mind. James was highly amused and secretly pleased at his son's show of independence and was happy to go along with the boy's wishes. Francie was happy enough to call her little brother by his preferred name, except when he'd played a prank on her and then he was always Jesse.

As the family grew, the protective side of Jess's nature developed. He often teased the younger children, but it was always done with a gentle humour and it was woe betide to anyone who teased them or treated them unkindly. To his frustration, his younger siblings found Jess's dislike of the name his mother had given him a useful way to pay him back for his good-natured teasing and followed him around chanting the hated verse from the Bible.

A few years after Jess's birth, the area of Texas in which they lived suffered two years of severe summer drought followed by unusually harsh winters. The land that James Harper sharecropped suffered as a result, but although the work was still there for him, the amount of land and the effort required to produce a crop of a similar size to that prior to the drought, more than doubled. Likewise, the meat that James's hunting brought to the table dwindled, the wildlife in that area having been almost decimated by the severity of the conditions. Times became very hard for James and Martha, and their growing family.

In April 1860, Jess's fourteenth birthday slipped quietly past. It had fallen on a Monday that year but the day made no difference to him one way or the other. In general, one day was very much like another in the Harper household and birthdays came and went, unremarked and uncelebrated. At the time of his fourteenth birthday, Jess was one of five Harper children. His sister Francie was the eldest at 16 and then there were the three little ones; Johnny was just seven years old, then came Beccy who was three, and the youngest, Tim, who was just a babe in arms.

There had been three other children born to James and Martha in the years between Jess's birth and that of Johnny, but life had not been kind to the couple in that time, and privation and sickness had stolen the three babies away from them. One baby, a boy, had been stillborn; the next, a tiny little girl, had been born prematurely and survived for only a few hours, fading away before her grieving parents' eyes. The third, another boy, had raised their hopes but had succumbed at the age of nine months to a fever which had swept through the little community in which they lived. Martha's distress had been hard for James to bear and he blamed himself for the poverty which afflicted his family and left them so vulnerable to the harshness of the life they led.

James had always been a scrupulously honest man and he and Martha brought their children up by a well-defined moral code. The hard years had not changed him in this respect but the guilt he felt over his inability to improve his family's circumstances weighed heavily on him and every once in a while, the man who would hitherto have enjoyed just the occasional glass of beer with his friends experienced a dark night of the soul and squandered what little money he'd earned in the local cantina, attempting unsuccessfully to block out the awareness of his troubles. James wasn't a happy drunk. Angry at himself for his weakness he generally returned home in a black mood and directed his anger toward his wife and children.

Jess loved his father despite his occasional lapses. He understood where his father's anger came from and knew he would be overcome with regret when his mood had passed. Fiercely protective of his family, Jess did the only thing he could think of to diffuse the situation and deflected James's attention away from his mother and siblings and onto himself. Martha's heart ached at the guilt she knew her husband carried on his shoulders. Like Jess, she forgave James his occasional lapses, but she couldn't forgive the bruises he inflicted on her beloved son. The black moods were short-lived however, for as soon as his anger had been released James suffered severe remorse over his actions and returned to being a loving husband and father, until his next lapse.

On the Sunday before Jess's birthday, James had been in one of his black moods. Late on Saturday evening after his meagre funds ran out, the barman and a couple of the regulars at the local cantina hefted James up onto his horse and sent it in the direction of home with a pat on the rump. The horse had grown used to this procedure and plodded along slowly but despite this, James slid from the saddle on the way and rolled into a ditch, lying there insensible until the early hours of the morning. The horse continued on to its stable and James arrived home on foot, empty of pocket, badly bruised, and with his already threadbare jacket torn. That Sunday, James found fault with everyone and everything, but for once he took out his anger on the woodpile. His children knuckled down to their chores, keeping out of their father's way as much as possible. Jess escaped a beating that day but he remained wary, as his father's mood hadn't been completely defused by his attack on the woodpile.

The next day, James was out tending to some business with the owner of the land he sharecropped. Jess had worked extra hard that morning so as to finish his chores early and slip away before his father returned. His last chore had been clearing out the stall in the small barn where his father's horse was stabled. While Jess worked in the empty stall, the chickens pecked around in the hayloft sending down intermittent showers of straw, the occasional fragment of dried chicken dropping, and a quantity of loose, downy feathers.

His chores completed, Jess escaped to his favourite spot by the stream which ran through the wood about a half-mile from their neat wooden cabin. Several species of tree and shrub grew in the surrounding area. There were juniper and cottonwood trees, hackberry, and scrub oak, and the banks of the stream were sparsely dotted with willow and mesquite. Jess loved the company of his noisy brothers and sisters, but he had a sensitive side to his nature that he rarely displayed to others and there were times when he needed to escape to his spot by the stream where he could explore his innermost thoughts and enjoy the peace of the natural world around him.

Adolescence had kicked in with a vengeance over the last year and Jess was finding it hard to come to terms with the more inconvenient changes in both his body and his emotions. He was a modest boy, and embarrassed by the outward signs of his increasing masculinity. As he sat brooding on his favourite rock beside the stream, Jess ran a hand through his tumble of dark curls, pulling out the bits of straw and other barn debris and tossing them into the stream to be carried away by the current. He was in an unusually introspective frame of mind, staring moodily at the rippling surface of the stream. His deep blue eyes gazed unfocussed at the water as small twigs, dried leaves, and the occasional struggling insect floated downstream to join the bits of straw and feathers in the pool formed by the stream as it flowed into a wide, deep hollow in the ground. The stream widened at the other side of the hollow, taking the overspill away downhill to skirt the edge of the little community.

Deep in thought, Jess watched the stream flow over and around the various obstructions in its path; a build-up of mud, a group of small rocks, a partly-submerged piece of rotting wood, or a tangle of waterweeds and debris at the edge of the bank. The stream was ever-changing in the items it carried along with it, and in the way its rippling surface reflected the colour of the sky and the pattern of the clouds overhead. Yet, the stream itself was unchanging, the flow remaining ever the same, and the pattern of the water as it chuckled and eddied around the various obstacles constantly repeating itself. It was much the same as the flow of life, Jess mused. The community of which his family was a part was too small to be called a settlement but over the years there were always comings and goings, births and deaths, and endemic sickness that affected every family in the community. However, momentous as some of these events were to the individuals concerned, the general pattern of life never changed, going on much the same as before, and for most of the inhabitants it was unvarying in its harshness.

Pulling his mind away from contemplation of the stream, Jess brought his mind to the present and tugged off the secondhand boots he'd recently acquired in payment for some work he'd done for Mr Manning, the owner of the general store. They were only very slightly too large for him and a pair of thick socks had pretty much solved the problem except that they kept slipping down inside the boots. _Aw heck_ thought Jess irritably _I_ c _an't keep pullin' 'em off to fix these darn socks… I wonder if Ma's got any better ideas._ After pulling the thick socks back up over his heels and tugging the boots on Jess stood up and stretched.After considering his options for a few minutes, he decided tostroll down past the schoolhouse to the general store and see if Mr Manning had any odd jobs he could do.

Circumnavigating the pool, he followed the bank of the stream down the hill through the gradually diminishing trees and turned onto the track which led to the general store by way of the schoolhouse. The small cabin that served as the schoolhouse had been built roughly a quarter of a mile away from the huddle of crudely built shacks, the small general store that doubled as the cantina, and the few scattered houses set apart from the rest that belonged to the comparatively well-off families.

The day was unusually hot and airless for the time of year. Jess paused in the shade of a spreading tree, leaning against the wide trunk, his hands tucked into the pockets of his denims as he listened to the droning of the insects. The schoolhouse was three hundred yards or so further down the track. _Kids oughta be comin' out soon_. Jess wondered what it would be like to go to school. None of the Harper brood attended the lessons but Martha had made sure all her children could read and write, except for the babe in arms of course. Jess had an agile and retentive mind. He'd never been as good as Francie at spelling but his writing was decipherable, he knew his times tables and had no problems with addition or subtraction. He wasn't too bad at multiplication and division either. Jess could never understand why the other children in the community had any need to go to school. _Don't their Ma's teach 'em like our Ma taught us? What all else is there to learn?_ _Wouldn't do for me…_ _starin' at a blackboard for more'n half a darn day. I gotta be out in the open, even if it is only doin' chores._ Jess wondered who did the children's chores while they sat in the classroom.

Listening for the bell signalling the end of the school day, and the babel of happy voices which always followed it Jess pushed away from the trunk of the tree and was about to walk on to the general store when he noticed the three boys several yards away from where he stood. They lounged by the side of the track, their heads together as they shared some private joke. Jess felt the small hairs on the back of his neck rise. He knew the older boys only too well. _Zeke Patterson and the two Yates brothers. Troublemakers if ever I've known any_. Jess leaned back against the trunk of the tree seemingly relaxed as he chewed on a blade of grass, but he kept his eyes fixed on the three boys.

After several more minutes the clang of the school bell sounded and the door of the schoolhouse slammed open as a small crowd of laughing children emerged. Most of them headed away from Jess toward the general store and the cluster of houses, but two of the children broke away from the rest and walked slowly in his direction. The three boys sniggered over their shared joke and watched the two children draw closer.

Frank held his kid sister's hand protectively as she walked beside him clutching the rag doll her mother had given her just that week. Nine-year old Evie always reminded Jess of the china doll his mother had kept from her childhood and which was now the prized possession of his little sister Beccy. Evie was small for her age with corn-gold curls framing her pretty face and tumbling over her shoulders. Jess thought she was about the prettiest little thing he'd ever seen. _Ain't she just like Beccy's_ _little china doll…?_ Jess switched his attention back to the three boys. _I'll be darned if I'll let those three mess around with her…_

Jess liked Frank and Evie Emerson and their older brother Ben, but much as they would have liked to befriend Jess, the three Emerson children had been adjured by their parents to stay well away from the likes of Jess Harper. William Emerson and his wife Alice considered themselves morally and socially superior to the majority of the inhabitants. Their thriving homestead was a half-mile out from the schoolhouse in the opposite direction to the main part of the community. They kept hogs, chickens, a few goats, and a couple of milk cows and sold their excess eggs, milk, cheese and butter through the general store, as well as some of the ham and bacon from their hogs. They also had a large truck patch that kept their own family well supplied with vegetables, leaving plenty over to sell along with their other produce.

William and Alice Emerson had little to do with any of the community except for the few comparatively well-off families close by. The children of these families, for the most part, weren't allowed to mix with the poorer children of the community who like Jess, didn't attend school. Jack Patterson was one of William Emersons' friends. His son Zeke, unbeknownst to his doting parents, had acquired a penchant for the rough company of Billy and Pete Yates. Jess had a particular dislike of all three boys but especially of Zeke. He didn't trust him anywhere near his sisters and he was determined not to let him get too close to Evie.

Frank Emerson was a year younger than Jess but Evie was five years his junior. Jess had got to know them two years previously when Evie was being unkindly teased by a group of older children. Jess had felt sorry for the golden-haired little girl and had waded in to help Frank fight off her tormentors. Evie's older brother Ben had searched Jess out the next day, thanking him for helping out his kid sister. The two boys had liked each other on sight but William and Alice Emerson, although grateful for their children's rescue forbade them to associate with any of the Harper progeny.

Ben and Frank found it hard to understand their parents' attitude toward Jess. The Harpers were undoubtedly poor and the father occasionally drank too much but they were an honest, hardworking couple, and threadbare as their children's clothes were, they were always clean and carefully mended. In defiance of their parents' strictures, the brothers always stopped to talk with Jess when they met, and if Evie was with them, she would stare up at him with her sweet, shy smile. She adored the lively, dark-haired older boy with the laughing blue eyes who'd come to her aid.

Jess could see Ben now, coming up the track from the general store toward the school and he wondered why the two children hadn't waited for their older brother. Ben was two years older than Jess but the difference in their years had been no bar to their friendship as Jess's hard upbringing and strong protective instinct had matured him beyond his years. Ben shared the same ebullient spirit, sense of fun, and lust for life as the younger boy. He didn't feel he was cut out to be a farmer but he was reluctant to disappoint his loving father, and his mother was adept at using the powerful weapon of emotional blackmail to keep her eldest son close to her side.

The three boys who were the subject of Jess's observation had also seen Ben's approach and it was obvious to Jess that the presence of Frank and Evie's older brother wasn't about to deter the three trouble makers from whatever mischief they had in mind. He pushed himself away from the tree and started walking toward the group of boys.

As Frank and Evie came alongside the trio of boys, Jess saw red-haired Zeke say something to Billy Yates and nudge him forward. Billy was the taller of the three boys and thickset like his father. He was blue-eyed and brown-haired like his younger brother Pete. At Zeke's instigation, Billy stepped out to stand in front of the children, blocking their way. Frank tried to guide Evie around him but the older boy sidestepped to block the way again. Ben saw what was happening and quickened his pace but he was still two hundred yards down the track.

Evie shrank against her brother's side as Zeke stared at her. Zeke kept his deep-set brown eyes glued to the little girl and leaned a little closer to Billy Yates. "Go on Billy… What ya waitin' for." Billy smirked and took a step closer leaning down to look at the doll that Evie was clutching.

"That's a real nice dolly you got there, Evie. I bet you got loads o' dolls. My kid sister now, she ain't got but one scruffy old doll and I'm bettin' she'd be real glad to have one like that. You wouldn't miss just one of 'em, Evie… now would ya?"

Evie clutched both her doll and Frank's hand a little tighter and stared up wide-eyed at the boys. She'd always been a little nervous of Billy Yates and his younger brother Pete but there was something about the way Zeke Patterson's eyes lingered on her that made her feel more than a little frightened and she tucked herself in close beside her brother. Frank stood a little straighter and eyed the taller boys who blocked their way.

"Just you leave Evie alone Billy. I'm real sorry your sister's only got one doll but our mother made that doll for Evie as a birthday present and I'm not about to let you take it from her."

Billy's grin widened as he looked over at the other two boys. "He's a tough one ain't he Zeke? He plumb scares me to pieces." He saw Ben come up and stand behind his brother and sister. "I could maybe do with a little help here, fellas."

Jess neared the group just as Ben reached them. Frank stepped aside, drawing Evie with him. Ben fixed Billy and the two other boys with a hard stare but they returned it belligerently and stood their ground.

"Well, now…" Zeke said from behind Billy "here's big brother. Come to rescue yer kin, Ben? Why don't you show him why that ain't such a good idea Billy?" Billy Yates reached out as if to shove Ben out of the way but Ben brushed his arm aside.

"I'd appreciate it Billy, if you and your friends would step aside and let Frank and Evie on their way."

Billy sniggered. "He's tough like his little brother, but he's real polite ain't he?" He looked briefly over his shoulder at the other two boys as if to make sure they were still there and then stepped a little closer to Ben. "Or maybe he's just yeller as mustard and ain't got the bite."

Out of the periphery of his vision, Ben caught sight of Jess walking purposefully in their direction and knew he had an ally. As he mentally readied himself for a fight he tried once more to reason with Billy, giving Jess time to reach them.

"Look Billy, my Pa's gonna be real angry at you for tryin' to take Evie's doll and as for you Zeke, I don't doubt he'll be lettin' your Pa know just what you get up to when you're out playin' with your little friends. So why don't you just back off and go play with your friends somewheres else. They're a little more your size than Frank and Evie, don't ya think?"

Billy smirked. "You're pretty sure of yourself for someone who's outnumbered. Now you see here, Ben. My Pa don't take too kindly to someone like you givin' me a ruckin'. He can be about as mean as a mama wasp, but I don't mind tellin' ya his sting's more'n twice as bad."

Ben Emerson stood his ground, calmly returning Billy's truculent glare. "Do you honestly think I'm gonna let you get clean away with takin' my little sister's new doll?"

Billy shuffled his feet nervously. There was something about Ben's quiet words that unnerved him but his natural response to this inner uncertainty was to increase his level of truculence.

"I reckon that's about the size of it, Emerson. See, my baby sister, she ain't got but one doll and Evie…"

"Quit your whinin' Billy. What your baby sister has or hasn't got is nothin' to do with my baby sister. It ain't Evie's fault so quit tryin' to bully her. Maybe your mother should try makin' her one or maybe, just maybe… you could try doin' a little work for Mr Manning once in a while so you could earn enough to _buy_ your sister a doll…" Ben stepped a little closer as he spoke and Billy edged back toward his friends. "How would you feel Billy, if someone just upped and took something your little sister treasured?"

Jess had come up behind the three boys unnoticed by them and he stood a few feet away. "You want some help Ben?" he asked in a distinctive, husky voice that broke slightly on the last word. Jess's voice had broken before he was thirteen but it still let him down occasionally.

Zeke Patterson and Billy's younger brother whirled around. "Where'd you spring from Harper?" Zeke asked. "This ain't none of your business, so why don't you just butt out."

"I'm makin' it my business. You got any objection to that Ben?"

Ben gave him a wide grin. "I got no objection Jesse. You're more than welcome to join in if you've a mind."

Jess felt his mood lift and he returned Ben's grin. "I reckon I do. But it's Jess not Jesse. My folks named me Jesse but I never took to it."

Billy turned his belligerent glare on Jess. "You'll stay outta this _Jesse_ Harper, if you know what's good for ya." Jess said nothing but his expression took on the stubborn look that his siblings knew only too well.

Frank attempted to lead Evie away from the boys but Pete and Zeke stepped out intending to obstruct the two younger children. Jess strode quickly in front of them and put his arm out to stop them. "Don't even think about it…"

Ben glanced toward his younger brother. "Take Evie home, Frank. I'll be along in just a few minutes."

"Don't be so sure of that…" Billy threw a wild punch at Ben, which was easily parried and swiftly returned.

Ben watched in satisfaction as Billy staggered back. "You're just like your Pa, Billy. Too fat and too slow."

Red-faced, Billy charged purposefully back toward Ben and as the other two boys turned on Jess, Frank tightened his grip on Evie's hand and pulled her hurriedly up the track away from what promised to be a rough fight. He looked back briefly and saw Ben giving as good as he got from Billy, while Jess, a veritable whirlwind, changed the shape of Zeke's snub nose for ever with a neat facer. Both Zeke and Pete were taller than Jess and more heavily built, but what Jess lacked in size he more than made up for with an enthusiasm and ferocity they couldn't equal.

Frank hesitated and considered sending Evie on and wading in to help Jess but Ben had told him to take Evie home. He wouldn't appreciate being disobeyed and if the fight went badly, Evie would be in even more trouble. He urged her quickly homeward. As Frank and Evie disappeared out of sight, Ben felled Billy with a heavy blow to the solar plexus leaving him on his knees gasping for breath. He turned quickly away to help Jess, whose arms were gripped behind his back by Zeke, the taller of his two opponents, while Pete used him as a punch bag. Ben grabbed Pete's arm as he was about to throw another punch at Jess and swinging him round, he landed a fist full in his face sending the younger boy sprawling into the long grass beside the track.

Jess took the opportunity to bring his bootheel into contact with Zeke's shin and broke free as the older boy's grip on him momentarily loosened. He whirled around and drove his left fist into Zeke's diaphragm sending him to his knees on the dusty track. Zeke doubled over, to all intents and purposes temporarily disabled. Jess shoved a foot against his shoulder intending to push the boy over but was stunned to find himself landing heavily on the hard ground as his foot was grabbed and wrenched over, sending him off balance. Ben grabbed Zeke by the collar and hauled him upright, preventing him from doing any further damage to Jess. Billy stumbled over to the long grass at the side of the track, having recovered his breath, and grabbing hold of his younger brother he pulled him to his feet.

With a rough shove, Ben sent Zeke staggering toward the two brothers. "OK Billy, Pete… take your friend and hightail it outta here. And in future, all of you… and particularly _you_ Zeke Patterson… stay the hell away from Evie."

Zeke swiped his shirt sleeve across his bleeding nose and glared back at Ben. "We're goin' but I ain't likely to forget about this. You and Harper'd better watch your backs." As the three boys stumbled off down the track Ben helped Jess to his feet.

"I'll bet you won't do that again in a hurry. You OK?" Ben dusted Jess off with his hat as he spoke.

Jess gave a rueful grin and rubbed the hip he'd landed on. "Yeah… you could be right, but I'm fine. I guess I learnt another lesson today… I'll remember that little trick of Zeke's the next time I end up in a fight. I reckon my pride's about as bruised as the rest of me, is all. Thanks for gettin' 'em offa me."

Ben chuckled. "Oh, you were doin' just fine by yourself Jess. You'd a seen 'em off if I hadn't stepped in."

Jess looked ruefully down at his now-scuffed boots. "Maybe… maybe not…" Looking up again, he caught sight of a tear in his shirt sleeve. He'd acquired the shirt from Mr Manning, along with the boots. "Aw, heck! I ain't had this more'n a few days. I'll have to get Ma to stitch it for me."

"I'm real sorry Jess." Ben examined the tear. "It was my fault for gettin' you into this."

Jess winced as he wiped the blood from a split lip with his shirt sleeve, inflicting further damage to the torn garment. "As I recollect, I invited myself." He gingerly felt the bruises on his face. "Does it show much?"

Ben took a closer look at Jess's face and grimaced in sympathy. "Well, you're gonna have a real colourful eye, not to mention the bruise on your jaw, and your lower lip is about twice its normal size. Are you gonna get in trouble with your Pa over this?" Ben knew Jess's father didn't approve of his fighting.

Jess shrugged with a resigned air. "Ain't no help to it. He'll get a mite riled up when he catches sight of me but I reckon he'll cool down some when I tell him what Zeke and Billy was fixin' to do. He don't approve none of Billy and Pete Yates and you don't wanna know what he thinks of Zeke."

Ben clapped a hand on Jess's shoulder. "You want me to come back with you and fill him in on what started it Jess?" Jess shook his head. "Why don't you come home with me then and get cleaned up first? Pa'll be real grateful to you for what you done and Ma can sew up that tear for you."

Jess knew only too well what Ben's parents thought of him and his family and he didn't think there'd be much gratitude floating around if he turned up at their homestead with Ben.

"Thanks for the offer Ben but I'll be OK. I'd better get goin'. Maybe I can sneak back and clean up some before Pa gets home." Jess turned away and somewhat stiffly he started back up the hill toward home.

Ben watched him go. He'd always felt a strong affinity for Jess and no matter what his Pa said, Jess was a good kid and he'd make a fine man if James Harper didn't kill him before he turned sixteen.

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After the incident with Zeke and the two Yates brothers, the friendship between Ben and Jess continued to grow despite the disapproval of Ben's parents. Ben's open refusal to drop his association with Jess became a bone of contention between father and son and William Emerson's disapproval of the younger boy turned to outright animosity. There was little sympathy for Jess from that quarter when a year later, just after his fifteenth birthday, the landowner his father worked for fell foul of the Bannister brothers and by way of a threat the gang attacked the Harper's modest home, burning it to the ground. Martha Harper and the three youngest children were trapped inside the house by the gang's wild gunfire and burned to death. James was shot dead in front of his two older children as he attempted to stop the vicious attack, and Francie and Jess who'd been outside the cabin with their father were the only survivors.

After shooting James, the gang rode off. Jess tried desperately to rescue his mother and the younger children, but the fire had taken too great a hold and he was forced back by the heat of the roaring flames, his hands burned and blistered in the attempt. The orphans watched grief-stricken, as the flames devoured their home and the bodies of their kin. It was some time before anyone from the community arrived to investigate the fire and found the brother and sister huddled together in silent shock by their father's body. After the burial, Francie and Jess were taken in by a maternal uncle living at Fort Worth, and Ben and Jess lost touch with each other.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1 – Just a Distant Memory

Evie Emerson finished packing yet another crate and as she leaned the lid against the side of it, ready for her brother to nail down, she heaved a sigh. As she looked around the kitchen wondering what to start on next, the door to the porch burst open and her brother Frank strode into the kitchen.

"Hey Evie! You'll never guess who's here! Your Texas Ranger's back and lookin' for you. I told Danny I'd send you out to see him." Frank gave his sister an annoying grin as he waited for her reaction.

Evie felt a fluttering sensation in her diaphragm, but she covered her delight by indicating the three crates she'd packed that morning. "Just you turn your attention to nailing those crates down Frank. And Danny isn't _my_ Texas Ranger. He's a good friend is all. Why didn't you invite him into the house? He must've had a real long ride."

"Yeah… It sure looks like he did. I could hardly see him for dust. He's waterin' his horse right now and he's got those dogs of his with him." Frank looked around to see where he'd left the hammer and nails. _Darn it… I took 'em_ _out to the barn this mornin'_. He turned his attention back to his sister. "Danny said he didn't wanna shed his dust all over your clean floor. I reckon you must've scared him some last time he was here. Could be that's why he stayed away so long this time. A big man like Danny oughtn't to be scared of a little bitty thing like you."

Frank's diminutive young sister placed her hands on her hips and scowled. "Ooh…! You think you're so funny Frank Emerson…! Well, _I'll_ go out and ask him in, seein' as you're not too hospitable to an old friend."

Frank watched her go and smiled to himself before going back out to the barn to find the hammer and nails. _Old friend? Just who was his little sister tryin' to kid?_

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Daniel Adams stood in the neat yard waiting for Evie while his horse drank its fill from the water trough. Well over six-foot with dark blond hair and storm-grey eyes, Danny was a strong man with broad shoulders and a well-muscled body, but right now he was nervous, unsure of what Evie's reaction would be when he told her what he'd done. He could hardly believe it himself. It'd been his boyhood dream to be a Texas Ranger and now he wondered if he'd thrown it all away for nothing. Danny fidgeted with his hat as he waited, the doubts beginning to chase wildly around in his usually self-possessed mind. _What if she'd used the danger of me bein' a Ranger as an excuse…? What if she just hadn't wanted to marry me?_

One of the two big wolf-like dogs sitting quietly on the ground nearby stood up and brushed against his leg with a quiet vocalisation of discontent. Danny bent down and gave the dog's long, silver-grey coat an affectionate rub.

"I'm sorry Bidzi, I guess you boys're thirsty too. You don't have to wait for me to tell you it's OK to drink, ya know." The second dog got up at the sound of Danny's voice, stretched lazily and then stood watching him expectantly. Danny walked over to the water trough and snapped his fingers at the dogs. "Bidzi… Yuma…" He pointed at the trough and both dogs wandered over to stand on their hind legs, lapping eagerly at the water. Danny's horse nuzzled Yuma affectionately and the dog turned and licked at the big bay's nose before going back to lapping at the water.

Danny turned back toward the house as he heard the porch door open. His heart skipped a beat as Evie came hurriedly out and ran over to him, holding out her hands in greeting.

"Oh Danny! It's been so long since we saw you last." She smiled up at the tall man as he took her small hands eagerly in his. "Ben's missed you and I thought you'd never come back to me."

Danny pulled her closer to him, his hopes lifting again. _So…_ _She had missed him._

The two dogs, having drunk their fill, wandered over to sniff at Evie's skirts but she ignored them and they walked away to flop back down onto the dusty ground, tongues lolling out as they watched Danny and Evie.

Kissing the top of Evie's head, Danny hugged her tightly for a brief moment before easing her away. Taking hold of her hands again, he looked down at her. "I wasn't sure you wanted me to come back Evie… But I thought long and hard about what you said and I decided it was time for me to make a choice. It wasn't easy, but you mean far more to me than the Texas Rangers. I resigned last month. I just have to wait for my replacement to arrive before they let me go. I took some of the leave I was owed so I could come and see you but I have to go back next week… just for a while." He looked anxiously at her face, trying to gauge her reaction. "Well…? Does it make a difference to how you feel? Or have I done it for nothin'?"

Evie was too stunned to say anything for several minutes. "I regret what I said when I saw you last. I never thought you'd really leave the Rangers Danny. It's been your life for so long. I wanted to say yes to you… I really did… but it's just such a dangerous way to earn a livin' and I couldn't bear the thought of Ben gettin' a new Pa only to lose him again." She leaned into him, resting her forehead against his broad chest. "But when I thought you weren't comin' back…" Evie looked anxiously up at him. "I would've married you, Rangers an' all. Are you sure it's what you really want?"

"Evie… I ain't gonna lie and tell you I'm happy about resigning from the Rangers… I just know I want you far more than anythin' else in the whole world and if leavin' the Texas Rangers is what it takes, so be it." He let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her. "I would've been back a lot sooner, but we've been tryin' to track down Charlie Baines and his gang for most of the time I was away. I couldn't walk out on 'em right then. That lousy coyote's as slippery as a darned catfish. When we lost the trail completely and headed back to base I couldn't wait to see you any longer." Danny held her a little away from him and studied her face carefully before looking down at his dusty boots. "Look Evie… All I know is that I need you and I wanna make things right for you and little Ben. Will you let me?"

"What will you do Danny? For work that is…?"

Danny shrugged. "I'll find somethin' Evie. I reckoned on bein' a farmer alongside your brother but I can do most things needed around a cattle ranch. I've been askin' around and I've got a few irons in the fire. Well?"

Pushing herself away from the big man, Evie turned to look toward the barn where all the packing cases were stored, waiting to be picked up by the carrier. She'd been worried that they'd leave without her ever seeing Danny again and she was overjoyed that he'd returned in time. His news had stunned her though and she didn't know how to tell him that they were leaving Texas.

"Danny… You know how difficult Zeke made it for me, for all of us, spreadin' his lies all over the way he did and then just takin' off with Billy and Pete. Well… it's been gettin' real hard on Ben now he's at school." The tears filled Evie's eyes as she spoke. "Zeke turned up again and Pa and Frank agreed it was time to sell our place and move away to where folk don't know anythin' about us. Anyway, it all happened real quick and we leave next week… I was so afraid we'd leave before you came back."

Danny took hold of Evie's shoulders and turned her to face him. "Zeke came back here? When was that Evie? Was he on his own? Is he still here?"

A tear rolled down Evie's cheek as she looked up at him. "Just last month. He had Billy and Pete Yates with him but Mr Patterson refused to let him stay. He disowned him. I think he finally admitted to himself that Zeke's no good. He made Abe a partner in his ranch while Zeke was away. Abe's nothin' like his older brother. He's always worked real hard for his Pa to keep the place goin'. Zeke was furious, but there wasn't anythin' he could do about it. Mr Yates let them stay at his place for a few days but even he didn't want them around for long. They've gone now. I don't know where but it's good riddance to all of them, especially Zeke."

Danny gently wiped away the stray tear with his fingers. "Does Zeke know you're leavin'?" Evie shook her head and Danny looked relieved. "No tellin' what he'll do now. I reckon the three of 'em were mixed up with Charlie Baines in that robbery. You know that Baines is wanted for robbery in Texas? Well, he's wanted for murder now too. He killed a lawman in Santa Fe. That was just before the trail went cold, and that was last month… Must've been about the time Zeke came back here, I reckon."

He paused for a moment, thinking. "Zeke's never been positively identified as bein' a part of Baines's gang. Billy and Pete ain't either but all three of 'em have been in trouble a few times. So far, they're not wanted anywhere so I guess it's no surprise no one could name 'em. I've heard the descriptions of the other men involved in that robbery and I'd bet my life they were there. I got no proof though." Danny pulled her closer again. "Where are you goin' to Evie?" He placed another gentle kiss on the top of her head. "I'll come to you. Wherever it is… when I'm released from the Rangers, I'll come to you. If you want me to that is?"

"You know I want you to Danny." Evie's voice was a little muffled as she leaned into his embrace. "Pa found a place just outside a small town in Wyomin'. Oh… now what was the name of that town…? I must've heard him talkin' about it with Frank a hundred times but seein' you again… it's slipped my mind. It's about 15 miles outside of a small town in Wyomin' and it's been empty a while now. The owner was an old man but he fell sick and died after he lost his wife. Didn't have no one to leave it to. It's cattle country but they farm around there too and we've been told the ranchers in the area wouldn't object to the use we'd put the land to. I know you have to go back for now but can you stay here with us until we leave?" Evie looked up at him. "Pa's in the barn. Go and see him… he'll tell you all about it. You'd better make your poor horse comfortable and get him some feed while you're there and then come into the house and we'll talk. Bring Pa back with you and Frank too if he's in there. I'll get some lunch ready and find some meat for your dogs."

Evie watched as Danny made his way over to the barn, leading his horse and followed by the two big grey dogs. She loved Danny and Ben adored him but she wondered for maybe the millionth time where Jess was and if he was even still alive. She gave a deep sigh. _Guess it's time I left Jess in the past._ Her heart belonged to Danny now and Jess was, after all, just a distant memory… a hero figure from her childhood. _I'll never see him again. Not now I'm leavin' Texas and goin' to… Laramie… that's the name of the place… Laramie_.

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The streets of Boulder seemed totally devoid of life when Zeke rode in with Billy and Pete but as they neared the Silver Dollar saloon, the sounds of raucous laughter and an off-tune piano drifted on the night air.

Zeke reined in his horse. "This is the place Charlie said we'd find him. I just hope he hasn't gotten sick of waitin' on us. Charlie ain't the most patient man I ever met. D'ya reckon we got time to find that boardin' house first?"

Billy fished in his vest pocket for the watch he'd taken off the old man on the stage. Any gold that might once have coated the base metal of the watch case had long since worn away leaving only a few faint hints of its former glory but the watch kept good time and Billy had never owned a watch before. _The ole fella sure did have a conniption fit when I took it off him. Anyone'd think it was worth a fortune._ He polished the glass carefully against his shirt and checked the time. "Close on 8 o'clock. It sure has been a long and dusty ride from Albuquerque. I can hear a bath and a soft bed callin' to me but you're right… Charlie ain't got too long a fuse and a cold beer'd go down real well right about now."

Zeke nodded his agreement. "Yeah… I reckon you're right. We'd better see if Charlie's here and maybe we can freshen up some before we get down to business." He looked down at Pete who'd already dismounted and was just about to secure his mount's reins to the rail in front of the saloon. "Hey, Pete…" The younger man looked round at him, the reins still in his hand. "Why don't me and Billy get the beers in? You go and get us a coupla rooms at that boardin' house Charlie was talkin' about and then come and join us. Maybe we can get a decent steak here."

Pete gave a resigned sigh. Zeke seemed to have appointed himself as unelected leader since they left Texas. He could almost taste that cold beer but he mounted up again without complaint and rode up the street looking for the boarding house.

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The two men sitting at a table at the far end of the Silver Dollar saloon couldn't have been more different in looks. Charlie Baines was a stocky man in his early forties. He was swarthy, with greying hair that had once been black and narrow almost black eyes while his cohort Steve Wilkins, ten years the younger, was tall and slim with thinning brown hair and hazel eyes. They'd been waiting in or around Boulder for two days and nights but so far there'd been no sign of Zeke Patterson and the two Yates brothers.

"What the hell's keepin' 'em…?" Charlie muttered. "That Sheriff's gonna start askin' questions if we sit around here much longer. He ain't said nothin' yet but I seen him lookin' us over."

Steve looked up as the saloon doors were thrust open to admit two trail dusty men who stood in the doorway and looked around the room. "Charlie…" He nudged Charlie's arm and inclined his head toward the doors.

Charlie grunted. "Yeah… I seen 'em. 'Bout time they showed up. I don't see Billy's little brother with 'em. Maybe they ditched him. Good thing if they have… I don't reckon that kid knows which end's up."

"Pete ain't so bad Charlie…" As the two men spotted them and made their way toward the table through the crowd around the bar, Steve lowered his voice. "Give him a little time. He'll shape up."

"He darn near got hisself shot on that last job. Darn near got us _all_ shot…" Charlie threw a fulminating glance over at the approaching men. "We don't have any time to spare so he'd better shape up before we pull the next job or I'll shoot 'im myself."

Charlie didn't have much liking for Patterson or his two friends. He'd intended to ditch them once they'd shared out the proceeds of the robbery but Steve had suggested they might be useful to him right now and he was forced to agree. He fixed the semblance of a friendly grin onto his face as Zeke grabbed an empty chair from the next table and sat down opposite him. "Well howdy Zeke… So… where'd ya get to? We expected ya a coupla days ago."

Zeke shifted his chair over to make room for Billy. "Got held up just outside Denver. Pete's horse came up lame and we had to lay up 'til it was healed. We was makin' good time until then."

Charlie huffed. "I should've known it'd be Pete…"

"And just Whadd'ya mean by that?" Needled by the comment, Billy shoved his chair back and stood glowering pugnaciously at Charlie. "You got somethin' against my brother? Weren't hardly his fault." Billy raised his voice over the noise of the off-tune piano. "What d'ya want us to do… shoot the darn horse? Now that _woulda_ made us late."

"Consarn it Billy… will ya sit down…?" Charlie flapped his hands to indicate Billy should take his seat again. "We're supposed ta be tryin' to avoid attention here. You'll have the whole darn saloon listenin' in. I'm sorry… OK? I guess it weren't Pete's fault at that and I didn't mean anythin' against yer brother. Where is he, anyway?"

"Probably over at the boardin' house by this time." Zeke told him. "He'll be along soon's he's sorted out a coupla rooms for us." Zeke leaned back in his chair. "OK Charlie… so where d'ya stash it?"

Charlie winced at Zeke's overloud voice. "For Pete's sake Zeke… What's wrong with you two? Keep it down a bit cain't ya? Look… This ain't a real good place to discuss it. Steve, why don't you go get us some beers and get one for Pete, too." After looking nervously around the saloon, Charlie leaned closer to Zeke and Billy. "I figured we could all take a little ride together in the mornin'. I'll fill you in on everythin' then. I got a little proposition for ya too… if you're interested that is?"

"What sorta proposition?" Billy asked.

"I cain't give ya all the details until I've had word from an old friend of mine not too far from here but there's a nice quiet little town in Wyomin', roughly three or four days ride from here. It's down the Overland route through Fort Collins and toward the Medicine Bow mountains. Now, me and Steve…" Charlie paused and looked up questioningly as Steve returned and placed two beers on the table in front of Zeke and Billy.

"Girl's bringin' the rest of 'em over." Steve told Charlie as he sat down.

"Woulda been better if you'd brought 'em over yerself." Charlie glared at the saloon girl who'd arrived with a further three beers on a tray. She glanced at Charlie's disgruntled expression and placing the beers on the table one by one, she hurried off. Charlie leaned forward and lowered his voice even more. "As I was sayin'… Me and Steve cain't risk hangin' around any place fer too long, in case the local Sheriff matches us up to one of his wanted posters. That's where you and Billy come in. You can ride along with us for now if ya want but we got a while before we need to be there and I want you settled into that town a few days at least before we get there. You two ain't wanted anywhere yet and neither is Pete so you can ride in and out of town easy as you like. You could get some supplies in for us, check out the local Sheriff. Find out how many deputies he's got on his payroll. Spend some time in the town if you want but don't go spendin' any of that cash you're gonna have. Just act like any cowhands off the trail in a new town. Make out yer lookin' fer work."

Zeke glared at the swarthy-looking man. He'd always suspected Charlie of bein' a half-breed but no one in their right mind would go askin' Charlie about his parentage, unless they had a death wish. "Why'd we wanna look for work in… uh… what's the name of this place, anyway?"

"I'll tell ya later. And I never said ya had to get any work… just ask around. It'll give ya somethin' to start a conversation with and a reason to be askin' questions in case the Sheriff starts to get curious." Charlie glanced over at the door. "It ain't much of a town but it's better'n Boulder and it's bang smack on the Overland stage route. You can check that out for us while you're there too."

"I reckon we can do that but I've had about all I can take of sleepin' out on the trail for a while." Zeke looked over at Billy. "Fancy spendin' a coupla weeks in one place? Maybe they got some nice saloon girls there?"

"I wouldn't mind checkin' it out." Billy grinned. "I could do with somethin' softer to sleep on than my bedroll. Somethin' like a nice friendly little saloon gal'd do me just fine."

Charlie huffed impatiently. "Do what ya darn well like. Just don't go gettin' the Sheriff too interested in ya. Now, the other thing you need to know is…"

The saloon doors swung open and Charlie hesitated again. The four men looked over expecting to see Pete but it was the Sheriff who propped the doors open as he searched the room with his eyes, his gaze lingering on the four men at the far end of the saloon. Charlie watched him nervously his hand sliding down in the direction of his holster, but the Sheriff seemed satisfied, and after nodding to the barkeep he turned and walked back out onto the boardwalk letting the doors swing shut behind him.

Charlie let his breath out in a whoosh. "I don't like this Steve. I feel like a sittin' duck here. This town's too small to get lost in. Come on… let's get out of here."

Zeke laid a hand on Charlie's arm. "Now hang on just one darn minute Charlie… What about Pete?"

He was roughly shaken off. "What about him?" Pushing his chair back, Charlie threaded his way through the tables to the swing doors followed by Steve. Zeke and Billy looked regretfully at their half-finished beers and then they got up and followed Charlie and Steve out of the saloon.

Charlie headed up the main street to the far end of the town and then stopped by the large corral at the side of the livery stable. He leaned against the rail with Steve and waited until Zeke and Billy caught up with them. "Don't worry none about yer little brother, Billy. If he cain't find ya in the saloon, he'll just go back to the boardin' house. Steve and me are headed back to camp. Go get your horses and put 'em up here for the night then in the mornin' head east up the main trail." Charlie waved a hand in a vaguely easterly direction. "Five miles out of town you'll come across a big ole rock pile. It's near a heavily wooded area and there's a smallish lake on yer right. Ride around to the far side of the lake and you'll find a coupla fallen trees bridgin' a creek. We'll see ya there… and then I'll tell ya what I got in mind."

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Sheriff Ned Aimes sat at his desk flicking through the pile of wanted posters. He'd made a mental note of the four men tucked away at the far end of the saloon. He'd seen two of them sitting at that same table for the last two nights and something about the two men had niggled at the back of his mind. He'd supposed that they were waiting for someone and he'd been right.

He'd checked through the wanted posters that first evening but neither of the men answered the descriptions on any of the posters. And neither did the two men he'd seen them sitting with this evening. _'Course you can't ever rely totally on descriptions._ He tossed the last poster to one side, yawning deeply and stretching his arms above his head to ease his back and shoulders. In his experience you could take six different eyewitnesses to a robbery and come up with six different versions of the event and six different descriptions of the perpetrators. _No… you couldn't just rely on descriptions alone_. Sometimes a wanted poster included a drawing of the fugitive but these were often no better than a six-year old child's scribbles and unless the poster was for a notorious criminal that'd already served a sentence, there'd be no photograph. Photographers were a rare breed in these parts and photographs on wanted posters even rarer.

Despite his failure to match the men up with a wanted poster, Ned Aimes was convinced that the two strangers, and maybe all four of the strangers around that table tonight, were wanted for something, somewhere. Men whose consistent preference in a saloon was to sit with their backs to the wall usually had something to fear and by definition, something to hide. He decided to keep a picture of the men in his mind and check through the next batch of wanted posters very carefully.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 – A Shadow from the Past

Slim Sherman, the tall, blond part-owner of the Sherman ranch and relay station sat on his horse atop the ridge overlooking his home and pushed his hat a little further back on his head as he looked up at the cloudless blue sky. It was already hot despite the earliness of the hour and he reckoned the day was only going to get hotter. Looking down the steep hill he saw his partner Jess Harper emerge from the barn and stride jauntily over to the corral, four sets of harness draped over one shoulder. _Looks like Jess's finished cleanin' out the barn already…_ Slim watched his partner hang the sets of harness over the top rail of the corral and duck beneath it as he stepped into the enclosure. The dark-haired man stood quietly watching the group of relay horses standing at the opposite side of the corral. Slim cleared the sweat from his forehead with a swipe of his sleeve and resettled his hat on his head before nudging his horse forward down the steep grassy slope toward the corral.

Jess looked up as he heard the sound of hooves and saw his partner approaching. Temporarily abandoning his task, he strode over to the side of the corral and slipped between the rails, waving and calling out a greeting. "Hey, Slim! You're just in time to help me out with the team. How's that stretch of fencin' you repaired last week? Still standin'?"

Slim reined his horse in and sat looking down at the grinning, dark-haired younger man whose intensely blue eyes twinkled with humour. "Don't go gettin' your hopes up Jess. I'm headin' in for some of Daisy's coffee and a piece of that pie left over from supper. Oh! And the fence is just fine… When I put up fencin' it stays up!"

Jess squinted in the bright sunlight as he looked up at Slim. "Heck Slim! It weren't my fault that fencin' was damaged. It was one of them darned ornery pieces of beef trampled it down." Jess glared up at his partner indignantly. "Anyways, all _you_ had to do was repair it. I dug out all the post holes, ya know, and I ain't exactly been loungin' around this mornin' either. I mucked out the barn already, the stock's all seen to and I handled the 7 o'clock stage on my own." Jess's blue eyes lit up with sudden mirth. "I did leave ya a small piece of Daisy's pie but I'm gettin' a mite peckish so you might wanna get Alamo seen to before I change my mind."

As Jess turned back toward the corral raising his hand in farewell, Slim leaned over and took a parting swipe at him, knocking his hat askew before urging Alamo toward the barn. Without looking back, Jess chuckled and made a grab at his hat adjusting it before slipping back between the rails of the corral. By the time Slim had tended to his horse and settled him in the stall next to Traveller, Jess had the four relay horses hitched to the corral rail and was giving them a final grooming before carefully checking them over and tacking them up ready for the 9 o'clock stage. _Pretty good goin' Jess…_ Slim stepped up to the porch and made for the door of the small cabin that served as the ranch house. _It's not even 8:30 yet… I wonder what he's cookin' up_. Slim knew that his partner liked nothing better on a hot and humid day like this one promised to be, than to swan off and cool down in the lake. _Guess I wouldn't mind that myself… Maybe we can take Mike swimmin' after he finishes school for the day._

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A little over thirty minutes later, the 9 o'clock stage from Laramie swept into the yard in a cloud of dust and a scattered flurry of squawking chickens. The stage missed Jess by a narrow margin as he stood, hand outstretched to await it, playing his usual dangerous game with Mose Shell, the old stage driver.

While Jess steadied the team Slim assisted the weary passengers to alight, and after directing them to the cabin for a much-needed break from the bumpy journey, he walked around to the nearside leader to give Jess a hand with unhitching the road-weary team.

After checking that the brake was properly secured, Mose climbed stiffly down from the box. "You're gettin' a mite slow there Jess. I reckon you must be gettin' old."

Grinning impishly, Jess began unhitching the dusty team. "And I reckon there's somethin' wrong with your eyes Mose. You missed me by a mile."

"I'll get ya next time." Mose chuckled heartily to himself as he followed the passengers into the cabin, emerging a few minutes later to drink his coffee on the porch and pass on the latest gossip to Slim and Jess.

While the two men worked, Mose waffled on about the man who'd just bought the empty property abutting the Sherman ranch. He paused briefly to take a sip of his cooling coffee. "I hear he's got a son just about your age Jess… and a _real pretty daughter_." The last few words of this comment were accompanied by several winks and twitches of his face. "Name of Emerson," he continued. "The father I mean… and he hails from the Texas Panhandle, Jess."

As he listened to Mose's gossip, Slim smiled to himself and carried on working but on hearing the old stage driver mention the Texas Panhandle, he glanced briefly over at his partner. Jess had been working with his back to the porch only half listening as Mose rattled on, but as he caught the name Mose tossed over to him he became suddenly very still, pausing in his work, a slightly troubled look on his face.

Aware of Slim watching his reaction, Jess resumed his work and glanced over his shoulder at Mose. "There's a whole lot of Emerson's in Texas, Mose. Did ya happen to hear his first name?"

Mose hadn't missed Jess's reaction and his curiosity was aroused. "Sure did, Jess. William. William Emerson. D'ya know him?"

Jess paused again, his back stiffening. He dipped his head and was silent for a long moment, various emotions flickering across his face as the name stirred memories he'd pushed down years before. When he finally spoke, his voice was tight and hard. "Yeah… I reckon I know him."

Troubled by his partner's reaction to the name, Slim experienced a frisson of warning and walked around the team to stand beside Jess. "You don't look too happy Jess. How d'ya come to know this William Emerson?"

Jess raised his eyes to Slim, seeming to glance over the top of his friend's head before lowering his eyes to meet Slim's gaze. "If it's the same man, I knew him when I was just a kid growin' up in Texas. His son Ben was a real good friend of mine."

Giving Jess a puzzled look, Slim frowned. "Well, what's so bad about that Jess? It'll be good to meet up with Ben again, won't it?"

A look of sorrowful regret flickered briefly across Jess's expressive countenance, to be quickly replaced by a puckered chin and a wistful smile. "Yeah Slim… I reckon it'd be real good… if he was still alive." Again, Slim caught the fleeting look of sorrow before Jess continued. "Ben was Emerson's eldest son, but he was killed in the war." He glanced round at Mose. "I reckon the son you been talkin' about is his younger son Frank. He's about a year younger'n me. The daughter's name is Evie and she was the cutest little kid you ever did see." A smile lit up Jess's face at the memory of nine-year old Evie. "She was just 14 when I last saw her but she was shapin' up to be a real beauty even then." Jess heaved a sigh and gave Slim a rueful grin. "I'm afraid William Emerson and his wife never had much time for the likes of my kin and they sure as hell didn't think much of me as Ben's choice of friend."

Jess turned away abruptly and after completing the unhitching of the tired, dusty horses, he led them across the yard to loose them in the corral. As Jess walked away, Slim watched his partner's retreating back. There was a tense set to his shoulders now and his normally jaunty stride had been replaced by a weary tread. Jess's bright and cheerful mien from earlier that morning was gone and he looked for all the world as if the shadow of something dark now hung over him. Judging by the stricken look on Jess's face at the mention of William Emerson, it was a shadow from the past and Slim had a vague feeling they were in for trouble.

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Slim watched the stage being driven away up the slope and then he turned to Jess. He draped an arm over his partner's shoulders. "Come on Jess. Why don't we have ourselves a rest before we see to those horses. You've earned one and you sure look as if you could do with a coffee."

Jess seemed to be lost in thought and said nothing, but he let himself be guided toward the small ranch house. Over coffee the two ranchers discussed their work schedule and took note of the various tasks their middle-aged housekeeper, Daisy, suggested as needing urgent attention. For the rest of that day Jess remained slightly withdrawn. Slim knew only too well his partner's propensity to brood in silence until all it needed was one tiny spark to set him ablaze. He did his utmost to draw Jess out of the dark mood that had descended on him but Jess remained taciturn, all attempts at conversation being met with monosyllabic responses. Jess had been in high spirits that morning and Slim wondered what this man Emerson could possibly have done that just the mere mention of his name would cause this sudden change in his friend's demeanour. Slim thought back to what Jess had said that morning. He remembered the brief flicker of sorrow, so quickly concealed, when Jess had talked about the man's son Ben. _Maybe that was it? Maybe it wasn't Emerson but the memory of his friend Ben that had wrought the change._

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At Daisy's urging, both men had agreed to concentrate their efforts on what needed doing in the close proximity of the barn and cabin and after the noon stage had been sent on its way, they tackled one of the storage sheds. Looking around at the untidy pile of timber and supposedly useful bits and pieces they had amassed over the last year or two, Slim wondered how they would ever find anything if they did need it. Seeing the daunted look on Jess's face he suggested that as the day had turned out so hot they should take their ward, Mike, swimming at the lake when he came home from school. Jess brightened a little at Slim's suggestion but his thoughts had been not so much about the enormity of the task facing them but of how many spiders they were likely to disturb from under the untidy heap of timber. Jess had a strong dislike of spiders and although he staunchly refused to let his fear get the better of him he was eyeing the heap with a distinct feeling of dread. Having the swim to look forward to gave him the incentive to get this disagreeable chore completed before Mike returned home on the afternoon stage and pulling his gloves more securely onto his hands, he waded into the task of creating some semblance of order from the chaos they were faced with.

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Daisy glanced out of the open kitchen door and caught sight of Slim walking past carrying a timber plank. She'd been puzzled by the sudden change in Jess's mood that morning but he'd been uncommunicative and this was the first opportunity she'd had to ask Slim about it.

"Oh Slim…!" The tall rancher paused as Daisy called out to him. "Is Jess all right? He's been very quiet since the morning stage came through."

Slim leaned the plank up against the outhouse wall and crossed over to Daisy not wanting Jess to overhear. "To be honest Daisy, I'm not really sure. He was fine this mornin'… real chirpy in fact. Mose was gossipin' about our new neighbours and it turns out Emerson could be a man Jess knew when he was growin' up. It doesn't seem to have been a good relationship, although Jess did say his son had been a good friend of his. The elder son that is… Ben, I think his name was. Apparently, the father didn't like Jess much and Ben was killed in the war. Rememberin' it seems to have gotten Jess all tied up in knots."

Looking thoughtful, Daisy pushed back the strand of hair from her face that always seemed to escape her pins. "I see… Well, you know what Jess is for keeping things bottled up. We have to find a way to get him to talk it out."

With a slight frown, Slim shook his head. "I've tried Daisy but it's hard to get him to talk about anythin' much right now. I think we should give Jess a chance to tell us in his own time. I don't think it'd be a good idea to go probin' into his past right now. He'll tell us if he wants to and…" Slim gave Daisy a very pointed look "…when he wants to." Daisy looked doubtful about this and Slim turned away wondering how much of this was concern on Daisy's part and how much was just plain curiosity. He hesitated before recovering the plank he'd left leaning against the outhouse wall. "Oh! By the way Daisy…" he called out "I meant to tell you earlier. I thought we'd take Mike swimmin' when he gets back from school. What do you think? It's a real hot day and I reckon we're in for a sticky evenin'. I know I should have mentioned it before but Jess and I got stuck into tidyin' that heap of timber in the storage shed and I forgot all about it. Have you got anythin' planned for supper that you can turn into a picnic?"

Daisy patted down her apron. "That's a wonderful idea Slim and it might take Jess's mind off whatever it is that's worrying him. I just happen to have the very thing. I was going to make chicken and dumplings for supper tonight but it really is too hot for something like that so I'll fry the chicken instead. I can have it ready in time to take with us and I can make up a potato salad. I have a pie already made too. Oh! And a couple of jars of lemonade wouldn't go amiss. Will that be enough do you think?"

"Sounds perfect Daisy. I'd better go and give Jess a hand finishin' up in the storage shed before he wonders where I've got to."

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By 5 o'clock Daisy was sitting on the picnic rug far enough away from the lake so as not to embarrass the menfolk as they splashed around in the water in their undershorts. Daisy felt a sudden stab of jealousy for the freedom that men enjoyed and wished that _she_ could go splashing around in the cool water in her undergarments. She chuckled to herself. It was a good thing that her old friend, Leora Scofield, an ardent campaigner for women's rights, couldn't hear her thoughts right now.

The picnic blanket had been spread out under the shade of a massive old cottonwood tree but the late afternoon was still hot and airless. Jess had seemed a lot brighter as they set out but he still wasn't his usual self and Daisy thought his laughter had sounded a little forced. She couldn't wait to get into town to find out what she could about the new inhabitants of the neighbouring property and made a promise to herself that she would drive into town the next day. _There must be something I could find a sudden need for… now how are the flour supplies?_ Daisy knew she only needed to mention a shortage of flour to Jess and the thought of being deprived of apple pie would be enough of an excuse for her trip but she remembered they'd bought a 5lb sack of flour just last week. _Well, that's no good… now… what errand could I have that those boys would be reluctant to carry out for me?_ Daisy sat up a little straighter as she thought of the perfect excuse. _There's that bolt of curtain fabric I promised to pick up for Emmy Harris the next time I was in town._ There were also one or two personal things she could add to her list that Jess and Slim would blush at. Daisy smiled to herself in satisfaction.

A sudden increase in splashing and a loud burst of laughter from the direction of the lake dragged Daisy's thoughts back to her present surroundings. Curious, she stood up and peering around a chokeberry bush she caught a glimpse of Slim grabbing hold of the waistband of Jess's undershorts as the younger man struggled to escape from him up the sloping bank of the lake. With a laugh that was definitely not forced, Jess grabbed hold of his undershorts to yank them back up but not before Daisy saw a flash of the slightly paler skin that was normally hidden beneath his denims. She sat back down hurriedly. Jess would be very shocked if he knew she'd seen a little more of him than he would willingly expose. Hearing more laughter and Mike's high-pitched giggles, she risked another peek and saw the two men engaged in a rough and tumble with Mike on the grassy bank and guessed they would soon be joining her. She hoped they remembered to bring the basket holding the two large jars of lemonade which were keeping cool in a section of deeper water further down the bank. She began to set out the plates and cutlery and the food she'd prepared and settled down to wait for her boys.

They joined her some ten minutes later, roughly towel-dried, their pants pulled on over their damp undershorts. Daisy wished she'd thought to bring spares with her but the late afternoon was still so hot it wouldn't be long before they were completely dry.

Once they were all sitting down to eat, Jess seemed distracted again, not even noticing Mike's irrepressible chatting. After the first few mouthfuls of chicken he sat and picked at the food on his plate.

"Aren't ya hungry Jess?" Mike asked him. "I could eat a whole horse!"

This elicited no response from Jess and looking pointedly at Slim, Daisy flicked her eyes in Jess's direction. Slim drew his lips into a tight, straight line and shook his head almost imperceptibly. Ignoring Slim's warning, Daisy put a hand on Jess's shoulder as he poked abstractedly at a piece of chicken. "Jess… aren't you going to eat that chicken? I cooked it just the way you like it."

Jess looked up, startled out of his thoughts. "Hmmm? Oh… I'm sorry Daisy. Did ya say somethin'?"

Daisy made an attempt to look stern. "Why Jess Harper! You haven't heard a word any of us has spoken. I asked if you were going to eat that chicken."

Jess gave her a slightly sheepish look. "Sorry Daisy… I guess I shouldn't have eaten that slice of pie when the last stage went through. There ain't nothin' wrong with the chicken. It's real good. I'm just not that hungry."

Giving Jess a somewhat sceptical look, Daisy shook her head. "That isn't it young man. Eating an extra slice of pie mid-afternoon has never stopped you from enjoying your supper before and you didn't eat much dinner either. Are you feeling unwell, dear?"

Jess ceased harassing the unresponsive piece of chicken and shaking off his distraction, he gave Daisy a quick smile. "Nah… I'm OK Daisy. Honest… I just got somethin' on my mind is all."

Leaning forward, Daisy took the fork from Jess's hand and put it down on the plate. "Could that something be our new neighbours?"

After giving Slim a reproachful glare, Jess looked down at the picnic blanket again. "I don't feel much like talkin' about it right now Daisy."

Not easily put off, Daisy tried again. "Well, if it's worrying you enough to put you off your food Jess Harper, perhaps you should talk about it."

Jess caught sight of an inquisitive Mike waiting for his reply. He leaned back on one elbow. "I'm fine Daisy. It's just… well… it's a long story and I wouldn't know where to start."

He turned toward Slim, dismissing the subject from further discussion.

"I reckon we shouldn't leave it too late before headin' back Slim. Mike has school in the mornin' and I reckon he must have some homework to do. Ain't that so Tiger?"

Mike squirmed. "Aw, Jess… There ain't much… honest."

"Isn't, Mike…" Daisy corrected the boy somewhat absent-mindedly as she began to gather up the dishes and pack them away.

Mike screwed up his nose. "Sorry Aunt Daisy. There isn't much Jess. I have to find five words in the dictionary and then I have to write ten sentences usin' 'em so's Miss McNeal can see I know what they mean."

Jess ruffled the blond head. "Well Tiger, I reckon that ain't too bad but you just knuckle down to it when we get back and then it's bed for you. Come on, Slim. Let's help Daisy get packed up. I could sure do with a cup of coffee."

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The 7 o'clock stage made it's way out of the yard of the Sherman ranch and relay station watched by Daisy as she waved Mike off on his way to school in Laramie. As the stage disappeared around the bend in the sloping trail, sending up clouds of dust, Daisy turned away and went back into the cabin. By the time Jess and Slim had finished looking after the spent team and were ready for a short break before starting on the rest of their chores, Daisy had a fresh pot of coffee on the stove and had removed the dirty crockery left by the stage passengers, replacing it with clean crockery, a large plate of warm biscuits, and a slab of fresh butter.

Following Slim into the cabin, Jess walked wearily over to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down. Yawning, he rested his elbows on the table and dropped his forehead into the palms of his hands. He'd had a restless night, plagued with dark dreams and he'd found it harder than usual to rouse himself from sleep that morning. He knew he'd woken Slim a few times during the night and was trying to throw off his lethargy before Slim started to ask the questions he guessed would come.

Daisy bustled in from the kitchen with a pot of coffee and began to fill two cups with the steaming hot brew. Pausing briefly, she gave Jess a long, considering look. "You look rather more tired than usual Jess. Didn't you sleep well?"

"He had a real rough night Daisy." Slim told her as he regarded his partner. "It's been a while since you had any bad dreams Jess, so what brought them on last night? Are you still worryin' about William Emerson bein' our new neighbour?" He placed one of the cups of coffee in front of his partner and drew the other cup toward himself.

Jess lifted his head and looked up. "Nah…" He sat up straight and ran a hand through his hair before taking a sip of the hot, strong coffee. "Well… yeah, I guess. Hearin' his name just stirred up a few memories is all. Couple more cups of coffee and a few of Daisy's biscuits'll see me right." He leaned back in his chair and gave a rueful grin before changing the subject. "Anyway pard, we got somethin' worse than William Emerson to worry about. I found a whole lot of feathers behind the henhouse. Did Mike say anythin' to you when he brought the eggs in Daisy?"

Daisy had been pouring coffee into her own cup and now she put down the coffee pot and sat down. "Why no, Jess. He never mentioned anything but he had to collect the eggs in rather a hurry this morning so maybe he just didn't notice anything."

Jess shook his head. "I reckon Mike was more'n half asleep this mornin' then. That darn fox musta crept in durin' the night. I'm gonna have to make a few repairs to the henhouse before I get on with anythin' else. I checked it out when I saw all the feathers. There were plenty inside the henhouse too. Those hens must've made a racket. I can't understand why we didn't hear 'em. I found a loose board at the back of the henhouse, just swingin' by one nail and our best layer's gone missin'. I'll bet that ole fox thought he'd died and gone to heaven when he found that gap. It just needs a few nails but I'd better check the rest of it over too. I reckon we might be needin' some of that timber we sorted out yesterday."

Frowning at Jess over the rim of his cup, Slim took a sip of coffee. "I'll give you a hand so we can get it finished quick. We've got those repairs to make on the barn roof today, don't forget." He waited for the anticipated reply and Jess didn't disappoint him.

"Aw heck Slim! Thanks for remindin' me… I was tryin' to forget it. It's gonna be even hotter today than it was yesterday. Can't it wait?"

"Why Jess? You got somethin' better to do down by the lake?" Slim asked with a grin.

Jess muttered something unintelligible under his breath and turned his attention back to his coffee.

Daisy reached for a biscuit and buttered it liberally. "There will be no swimming in the lake today for either of you. You really do need to fix that henhouse right away. We can't afford to lose any more hens to that wily old fox, or to the racoons. We lose enough to Mose as it is. Now, that reminds me… I think it's time we had a new rooster to replace Useless. The hens don't seem to be hatching many chicks these days and it's far too expensive to keep buying in new hens when the older ones stop laying."

There was a brief, shocked silence at this last remark of Daisy's and then Jess sat bolt upright. "Heck Daisy! That just ain't fair… We can't ditch ole Useless just 'cause he's firin' blanks."

Slim spluttered over his coffee and Daisy choked on the biscuit she'd been nibbling at. The old rooster had originally been named after President Ulysses S. Grant, but had earned the President's childhood nickname from Jess because he was good at making a lot of noise and strutting importantly around the yard hustling his ladies.

"Aw, come on Daisy…" Jess protested "the place wouldn't be the same without ole Useless and the hens'd fall apart without him keepin' 'em in line. Can't we just get another rooster to give him a hand with the… well, with… with the business end of things?"

Slim looked across at Jess. "You know that wouldn't work Jess. Two roosters'd only fight and that isn't gonna do poor Useless much good. He must be almost six years old now and he isn't gonna last that much longer. We've got about four or five six-week old chicks out there at the moment and a couple of those look as if they'll turn out to be roosters. Another five months and they'll be mature, and if Useless is still around by the time they're ready to challenge him, he oughta be well past fightin' over the ladies. There's just enough hens right now to keep Useless busy."

"Oh my!" Daisy exclaimed. "There aren't enough hens out there, and it's because Useless hasn't been busy enough!" She blushed slightly as she realised just what she'd said. "What a fuss over an old rooster! I notice you don't make that much fuss over the hens when they get flattened by the stage."

Jess chuckled "That's because they're good to eat and Useless'd be… well he'd be useless. I reckon he'd be 'bout as tough as old boot leather."

Picking up the coffee pot, Daisy topped up their cups. "Now, you two finish up that coffee while I get on with the dishes. Goodness! It's been such a rush this morning! Mike suddenly found he had some math homework he'd forgotten so I had to help him out with that as well as getting breakfast ready for the stage passengers. He really should have remembered it when we got back from the lake yesterday evening."

Jess finished the last of his coffee. "I guess he didn't want to Daisy. I'll have a word with him about that when he gets back." Pushing back his chair, he stood up and looked down at the middle-aged housekeeper with a fond smile. "I thought you were set on goin' into town this mornin' Daisy? Better not leave it too late or by the time you've caught up on all the gossip, you'll be drivin' back in the dark." Jess hadn't been fooled by Daisy's announcement yesterday evening that she needed to go into town urgently for a few personal items. If he knew Daisy she was on a mission to find out more about their new neighbours.

Ignoring Jess's reference to gossip Daisy put a suitably shocked look on her face. "Merciful heavens! I forgot all about that. I suppose I _could_ leave it until tomorrow… Oh, but I promised Emmy Harris last week I'd pick up a bolt of fabric for her the next time I was in town. She's been waiting for it to arrive for such a long time and I know she's in a hurry to make up her new curtains."

Slim got to his feet and threw an amused look at Jess over the petite woman's head. "Well, you'd better go get yourself ready Daisy." Slim hadn't been fooled either. He turned to Jess. "You reckon we've got time to clear these dishes for Daisy?"

Jess knew that once Daisy picked up some news about the Emersons in Laramie, she'd turn her attention to finding out why the thought of William as their new neighbour was troubling him. He didn't feel ready to confide in anyone just yet but stopping Daisy when she was on a mission for the latest gossip was like trying to hold back an avalanche and he resigned himself to the inevitable. Besides, it wasn't exactly William Emerson who was the problem, it was the memories that his name had evoked. All the same, Jess didn't relish the prospect of having a neighbour who was as prejudiced against him as William Emerson had been. He grinned at Slim and wrapped an arm around Daisy's plump shoulders. "I reckon we could manage it. I already got the tack ready for the next stage. Why don't you go and do your prettyfyin' Daisy and then all you have to do is get the coffee ready for the next load of stage passengers."

Laughing, Daisy pushed him away. "Oh… Get along with you Jess Harper. I just have to change my clothes. I was wearing this old dress when I cooked breakfast and the fat splashes seem to have made their way right through my apron."

Daisy untied the apron and leaving it on the dresser she opened the door to her room. "Hey Daisy!" Jess called out to her. "Make sure you wear that new hat with the pink roses on."

Turning, Daisy gave him a beaming smile before disappearing into her room.

"Since when did you become an expert on Daisy's hats, Jess?" Slim gathered up some dishes from the table and took them out to the kitchen.

Jess picked up the remainder of the crockery and the coffee pot and followed Slim into the kitchen. "I reckon knowin' about women and what they like just comes natural, Slim." Grabbing hold of a cloth, he picked up the large kettle of hot water Daisy had left on the stove and filled the bowl in the sink. "Some of us have it… Ow!" Jess broke off abruptly as Slim picked up Daisy's discarded apron and flicked it hard against his partner's tight butt.

"Come on now Jess… forget about women and Daisy's hats and just you get on with washin' those dishes." He thrust the apron toward the younger man's back. "Hey Jess…!" The laughter danced in Slim's eyes as Jess threw a quick glance over his shoulder. "Don't forget to put your pinny on…" Slim took a hasty step back and ducked as the wet dishcloth came hurtling towards him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3 – A Fortuitous Meeting

On arriving in town, Daisy left the buckboard at the livery stable and went straight to the hotel to call on Deirdre Robison, the wife of the hotel proprietor. The two women arranged to meet up at Molly's café for their noon meal and in the meantime, Daisy bustled over to the general store, this being the source of all knowledge in a small town like Laramie. As a preliminary to her investigations she carried out a thorough interrogation of Nancy Hale, the shopkeeper's wife and a staunch member of the Women's Group but as it happened, no further investigation proved necessary. As Nancy was chatting to Daisy about William Emerson's daughter she stopped abruptly in mid-sentence and giving a quick silent warning to Daisy she directed her attention pointedly toward the door to the street. Daisy turned and saw a fair-haired young man of about Jess's age on the point of walking into the store. He was accompanied by a very attractive young woman who could have been his twin if she was not so much younger. Daisy guessed this must be the brother and sister of Jess's friend Ben. She stepped aside as the young woman walked up to the counter.

Nancy turned her bright smile on her customers, hoping fervently that they hadn't heard the subject of her conversation with Daisy. "Good morning Mr Emerson, Miss Emerson. I trust you are well?"

Evie Emerson had heard nothing of the conversation between the two women, but she guessed that she and her brother had been the subject of discussion owing to the sudden silence which met their arrival. Blushing slightly, she returned the greeting with a smile. "And a good mornin' to both of you ladies. We're well, thank you." Unoffended, she knew that any newcomer to the area was bound to provoke curiosity. She turned to Daisy. "Please, don't let me interrupt your business. You were before me and I'm happy to wait."

Frank Emerson laid a gentle hand on his sister's arm. "I'll go over to the bank Evie. Wait for me here after you've finished makin' your order - I'll come right back over." He turned to go but Nancy called out to him.

"Oh, Mr Emerson…?" Frank turned back to the counter. "May I introduce you both to Mrs Daisy Cooper? Mrs Cooper is a neighbour of yours."

As Nancy introduced the brother and sister to Daisy, two men entered the store. Nancy glanced at them briefly but these were strangers and she ignored them. Frank and Evie, delighted to meet a near neighbour gave their whole attention to Daisy and didn't see them. The two men exchanged a meaningful look and moved quietly to the opposite side of the store. They stood with their backs toward the group, heads well down, ostensibly looking over the selection of hats and belts while they listened in to the exchange of conversation.

Frank Emerson turned to the petite woman who had stepped aside as they entered and with a smile he held out his hand. "Frank Emerson, Mrs Cooper." He indicated the young woman beside him. "This is my sister, Evie. I'm real pleased to meet a neighbour, but I understood the ranch borderin' on our property was owned by a man called Slim Sherman."

Daisy smiled sweetly at the two young people and took Frank Emerson's proffered hand. "You are perfectly right Mr Emerson. Slim Sherman and Jess Harper are partners in the ranch and they also have a contract to run the relay station for the Overland stage. I'm their housekeeper and I look after Mike for them. Mike is an orphaned boy Slim and Jess adopted two years ago."

At the mention of Jess Harper, Evie had given a little gasp and Frank's face took on a curious little smile. "Did you say _Jess_ Harper ma'am?"

"Yes… that's right. Jess Harper." Pleased with the reaction, Daisy looked up at the young man expectantly.

"I see…" Frank hesitated and glanced briefly at Evie. "Tell me, Mrs Cooper… Do you know whether Mr Harper has always lived in these parts? Or was he perhaps originally from Texas?"

Daisy noted an eager gleam in Evie's eyes. "He was indeed. Jess told me once that he grew up in the Texas Panhandle country." Daisy gave them a brief description of Jess and mentioned that he had recognised the name of Emerson when he heard it from the stage driver the previous morning. "Do you know Jess?"

Evie looked up at her brother. "Frank…? Could it really be _our_ Jess?"

"Who else could it be, Evie? There surely can't be more than one Jess Harper from the Texas Panhandle who knows the name of Emerson."

A delighted smile lit up Evie's pretty face. "I can't believe that we've come all the way from Texas and… Oh… This is just so astonishing… Mrs Cooper, Jess was a real good friend of our older brother when were growin' up back home and he was my childhood hero." Her bright smile faded briefly. "We lost touch with him when his family was killed. It was such an awful thing to happen! He and his sister Francie went to live with an uncle and we never saw him again, except for a very short visit he made after the war. I've often thought about him over the years, wonderin' where he was and what he was up to but I never imagined we'd ever see him again. It sounds like he's found himself a new family. Tell me… how old is Mike?"

Seeing the glowing look on Evie's face at the discovery that Jess was their neighbour, Daisy's heart was won. She smiled warmly at the young woman. "He has his ninth birthday very soon. Mike was seven when he was orphaned. His parents were killed in an Indian raid as they travelled through Wyoming. He was found by a troupe of wandering Japanese entertainers of all things! They brought him to the ranch and he's been there ever since. Just a little less than two years ago now."

Evie appeared to be delighted by Daisy's answer. "I have a seven-year old son I named after my older brother Ben. I hope maybe he and Mike could become friends. The last year or so in Texas has been a little traumatic for Ben. He'll have to start school in the fall and it would be so much easier for him if he already had some friends here." Evie's delicate face lit up again. "Why don't you all come to dinner this Sunday Mrs Cooper? I'm afraid our house and property are still in need of a lot of work but it would be so good to get to know our neighbours and to see Jess again. Please say you'll come?"

"I'm sure Mike would love to have a friend living so close… and dinner on Sunday would be lovely. Thank you, Mrs… er…" Daisy stopped uncertainly.

Hesitating for only a moment, Evie seemed to come to a decision. "It's just _Miss_ Emerson… Evie Emerson but please call me Evie, Mrs Cooper. I have a feelin' we could be good friends." She held out her hands to the older woman. She'd liked her on sight and felt somehow that this was a woman she could trust.

Her expression carefully schooled, Daisy grasped both the small hands in hers. "Well then, Evie… I am Daisy to my friends and that is what I shall expect you both to call me. I'm sure Slim and Jess will be delighted to meet you on Sunday and Jess will be so happy to see you again after all these years." Daisy mentally crossed her fingers. _Leastways… I certainly hope he will._ "Mike travels to and from school on the stage. Perhaps we could arrange things so Ben travels with him."

Frank held out his hand to Daisy in farewell. "I'd better get on over to the bank now or I'll be late for my appointment but I'll look forward to seein' you all on Sunday. Daisy…? Would you be sure to tell Jess somethin' from me? Tell him that our father will be _very_ glad to see him again. It's important that Jess understands that."

The two men on the other side of the store stepped quickly out onto the street.

"Why, certainly Frank. I'll make sure Jess knows that." Again, Daisy's friendly smile never wavered but her quick mind was working overtime.

Frank tipped his hat to the women and left the store, walking briskly over to the bank. Evie and Daisy continued their conversation while waiting for Nancy Hale to complete Evie's order.

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Billy Yates yanked his brother Pete down a side alley to avoid being seen by Frank Emerson, and not until he saw him enter the bank did he drag his brother out onto the street once more. "Come on Pete, let's get on back to Zeke. I cain't hardly wait to see the look on his face when he hears this!" They strode hurriedly along the main street, hoping Frank Emerson's business would keep him in the bank long enough for them to make it back to their lodgings without being seen.

Ben Dooley's was a large but somewhat disreputable saloon at the opposite end of town from the Stockman's Palace. They rented out a few rooms to paying guests and the unlet rooms were in use on and off by the saloon girls who were paid not only to serve the customers with drinks but also to satisfy any other requirements they might have. Billy and Pete made it back to Ben Dooley's unseen by Frank and hurried up the stairs to Zeke's room. Billy knocked on the door before entering and the two brothers stepped quickly in when they heard Zeke's unfriendly response. "If it's Billy or Pete, come on in… If it ain't just get lost."

When they entered, Zeke was sitting at a small table and his mood wasn't good. "Just where've you two been all this time? I went downstairs lookin' for ya but the barman said you'd gone out. Where the hell d'ya go?" Zeke flung down the pack of cards he'd been playing with and glared up at the two men. "You're lookin' mighty pleased with yerself Billy, and Pete's grinnin' like an idiot. You get dealt the winnin' hand or somethin'? Come on… give…"

Grabbing a chair Pete sat at the small table, while Billy perched on the side of the bed across from Zeke. "We had a few drinks and a little chat with a couple of the girls downstairs but I was gettin' a mite short on tobacco, so me an' Pete wandered up the street to the general store."

"Is that it…? Ya got some tobacco?" Zeke got to his feet irritably and went over to the window.

Billy exchanged a glance with Pete. "Grouchy, ain't he, Pete? What's up Zeke? Julie not talkin' to ya?"

Pete smirked. Julie was one of the saloon girls that Zeke had taken a shine to but she seemed to be wary of him after his first social visit with her and had been avoiding him ever since.

Billy winked at his brother and smirked back. "As it happens I didn't get any tobacco but I got a real big surprise for ya, instead. I reckon you could say I got two big surprises."

Zeke turned quickly back to face him. "Well… Come on then. I'll be an old man by the time you two get round to tellin' me anythin'."

With a smug little grin, Billy leaned back against the headboard and pulled out his tobacco pouch. "Well… as I said, we went to the general store…" he looked down as he licked the long edge of the cigarette paper and then looked up again at Zeke. "and Frank and Evie Emerson were in there talkin' to one of their new neighbours."

Chuckling at the stunned look on Zeke's face, Billy finished rolling his smoke. It wasn't often he got the better of Zeke and he intended to milk the situation for all it was worth.

Zeke moved suddenly over to the bed and grabbing Billy's carefully rolled smoke he held it out for a light. "You better not be kiddin' me. Did they see ya?"

Billy struck a match and lit the cigarette for Zeke. He began rolling another smoke before answering. "Nope… We was over the other side of the store and we kept our heads down. Cain't hardly credit it. Looks like Emerson moved on after we left Texas. Seems his land shares a border with the Sherman ranch and relay station and they was makin' themselves known to an old biddy who keeps house for Sherman and his partner and their adopted kid. Evie shouldn't be hard to find if you feel like renewing your 'friendship'. Evie invited 'em all to dinner on Sunday. Ain't that nice?"

Pacing over to the window again, Zeke lifted the corner of the lace curtain and looked thoughtfully down onto the street. "That sure is some surprise Billy. I don't give a damn about Evie and her scrawny kid or where they are, but if they're settled here they could give us a little trouble." Zeke looked thoughtful. "Mind you, if I get in there first with my own story it could give us a real good reason to be in Laramie and maybe folk won't be so ready to believe Evie. Small-town folk don't always take too kindly to an unmarried woman with a child. I reckon I owe her somethin' for my Pa throwin' me out too. Maybe we won't have to ask around about work after all."

Billy took a long draw on his cigarette and blew the smoke out in a long lazy cloud. "You sure that's a good idea Zeke? Charlie didn't want us drawin' too much attention to ourselves."

"Charlie ain't as smart as he likes to think he is, Billy. If the good folk of Laramie think I'm here for Evie and the kid, they ain't gonna question what we're really doin' here. Now, I wanna check out where this relay station is. That could be useful to Charlie and then we can find out where the Emerson's new place is."

"Ain't you gonna tell him about Harper, Billy?" Pete said impatiently.

"Aw shut up Pete! I'm gettin' to it… You've gone and spoiled it now. Here, roll yerself a smoke and keep quiet." Billy threw his tobacco pouch over to his brother.

At Pete's words, Zeke dropped the curtain back in place and turned abruptly. "What's he on about now? Who's this Harper…?"

Crossing the room to the window, Billy leaned back against the wall and grinned. "I told ya I had two surprises. You wanna take a guess at who Sherman's partner is?"

Zeke glared back and forth between Billy and Pete, his expression unreadable. "Well I figure it's someone called Harper, but I don't know any… Wait a minute, now. I do know that name… don't I?" Zeke's eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly as the penny dropped. "You two are killin' me. Are you tryin' to tell me Sherman's partner is that scrawny, no-count, share-cropper's son who gave me so much trouble back home? What was his name…? Josh? No… that weren't it… No, it was Jesse. _Jesse_ Harper?" Billy tilted his head to one side, grinned and raised his eyebrows. Zeke grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "This'd better not be some sort of joke Billy. Aw… come on now… there's gotta be dozens of Harper's around here. How d'ya know it's Jesse Harper?"

Billy broke into a triumphant grin. "Because the old biddy… Mrs Daisy Cooper her name is… mentioned Slim Sherman and his partner _Jess_ Harper. Don't you remember, Zeke? That boy never liked bein' called Jesse; always insisted on bein' called Jess. Anyways, Frank Emerson asked the old biddy if Harper mebbe hailed from Texas and she said this Harper fella grew up in the panhandle country. It seems he knew the name of Emerson when the stage driver gave him the lowdown on his new neighbours." Billy watched Zeke's changing expression with a great deal of satisfaction.

"How do you and Pete fancy droppin' in to Sunday dinner Billy?"

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Daisy waited in Molly's café for Deirdre Robison and pondered on her meeting with Frank and Evie. She wondered what there could possibly be about William Emerson that had disturbed Jess to the point of troubling his sleep, and she was sure that his dislike of Jess couldn't be the sole reason. Frank had said, very pointedly she thought, to tell Jess that their father would be glad, no… _very_ glad to see him. Daisy hoped she'dfind out a little more about that this evening. _Now, why would Evie Emerson have a seven-year old son and still be using her maiden name? If she was widowed, surely, she would want to be known as Mrs Johnson, or Smith, or whatever? And most single women with a child would choose to assume a married title…_ There was obviously a mystery to be solved but Daisy decided to keep it to herself for now. She'd taken an instant liking to the young sister and brother and to spread that particular piece of gossip would not be a charitable thing to do. She was pretty sure that Nancy Hale would not have missed that point and it would be the talk of Laramie soon enough. Daisy decided she would have to do some damage limitation at the next Women's Group meeting.

Deirdre Robison arrived at Molly's café a few minutes after Daisy, eager to discuss the newcomers. The two women enjoyed a profitable chat. When she parted company with Deirdre, Daisy was so impatient to drive back to the Sherman ranch with her news that she nearly forgot her excuse for the trip. She collected the buckboard from the livery stable and drove it over to the general store to pick up the bolt of curtain material. She also picked up enough small items to make her trip plausible, and by 2 o'clock she was well on her way to Emmy Harris. She was a little annoyed at having to break her journey home but she had the very good excuse for not staying long of having to prepare supper for her boys and she thought it would not, after all, be time totally wasted as she would have the pleasure of being able to pass some gossip on to Emmy before returning home.

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Slim cussed loudly as he missed the nailhead and struck his thumb with the hammer for the third time during the last hour. He and Jess had put a temporary halt to the barn roof repairs while they dealt with the team change on the 4 o'clock stage. Jess had confined Mike to the cabin with the instruction that he finish his homework before he could play with his pets. This had elicited some argument from the young boy, but Jess had been adamant. It had been close to 5 o'clock before the tired men could return to the task of replacing the planks on the barn roof.

The roof had been leaking only very slightly but even though rain was unlikely in the next day or so, the outlook could change rapidly in that part of Wyoming, especially in humid summer heat and the repairs needed to be completed before they were hit with a deluge, or by the high winds that could spring up out of nowhere. The damaged plank they'd replaced earlier that afternoon had been halfway down from the roof apex and this had meant the removal of several good planks before they could access the damaged one. Slim and Jess had replaced, and nailed down, all but the last of the original planks they'd removed and were now working on securing the last one at the roof apex. They still had the damage to repair on the other side of the roof, but this plank was fairly near the roof apex and would be quicker and easier to deal with.

Sucking his abused thumb, Slim stood up to stretch out his long legs which were cramped from crouching down for so long. "Darn it! I've had just about enough of this Jess… I reckon we should leave the rest for tomorrow. Just tap a few more nails in to hold this plank down and we'll call time on it."

Jess removed his hat and swiped his shirt sleeve across his sweat-dampened forehead. "That's about the best idea you've had all day…" He frowned up at his partner. "I'll tell ya Slim… these new planks are gonna stand out like a sore thumb against the rest of the roof." He grinned wickedly as Slim glared at the reference to his unfortunate thumb. "Daisy's gonna be expectin' us to paint the whole darn roof again."

Slim looked idly out across the corral and paddock towards the road. "I reckon you're right Jess, although we might just get away with paintin' the new ones." He shaded his eyes and stared up the road to where he could see a cloud of dust being stirred up. "Looks like that might be Daisy comin' back now. Start puttin' a few more nails in at your end so's she can see us up here workin'…" Slim squatted down again and began carefully hammering in another nail.

Jamming his hat back on his head Jess followed suit. "That's the second good idea you've had today. Maybe Daisy'll take pity on us and get a pot of coffee on. I could sure do with some."

As she reined the buckboard team to a halt in front of the cabin, Daisy smiled up at the two men on the barn roof. She was happy to see them attending to the repairs but she needed them inside where she could relay the interesting news she'd acquired in town.

"You both look so very hot and tired." she called out. "Why don't you call it a day and get cleaned up. I'll get some coffee on and start supper going."

Jess aimed a sly grin at Slim and clambered to his feet. "Sure thing, Daisy" he called back "it's pretty hot up here and I reckon we could both do with a break. We'll just finish nailin' down this plank and then I'll see to the buckboard."

"Thank you Jess, dear." Daisy climbed down and looked around. "Where's Mike got to?"

"Mike's takin' care of his homework." Jess called down. "After this mornin's flusteration I reckoned it was homework first and takin' care of his critters second. He ain't too happy about it though."

Daisy laughed as she disappeared inside the cabin and Jess looked down at his partner "Well, that was a mite too easy. D'ya get the feelin' Daisy's just bustin' to tell us somethin'?"

Slim and Jess hammered in the last few nails and then descended the ladder propped against the side of the barn. While Slim put away the tools and ladder, Jess led the buckboard team over to the barn and unhitched them. After letting the tired horses drink their fill he loosed them into the corral to roll happily in the dust, deciding to delay feeding them and brushing them down until he'd had that much-needed cup of coffee.

Jess caught up with Slim as he strolled past the barn to the two showers that they used in the hotter months of the year. Jess stripped off his clothes and hung them over the half-door of the shower, looking thoughtful. "I reckon Daisy's gonna have to wait to pass on all the gossip she's picked up in town." He pulled down on the piece of rope suspended from the roof tank and grunted as he was deluged with tepid water.

Slim released a heavy shower of water over himself and then paused before grabbing the soap from the wooden shelf in the corner. "What makes you say that Jess?"

Jess shook the water from his hair and eyes and grabbing his own lump of soap he began to lather it over his wet skin. "Mike's in there doin' his homework and he's gonna be all ears." Having lathered up the soap, he scrubbed away at the dirt and sweat before rinsing off and drying himself roughly with his shirt.

"I don't reckon Mike bein' there'll deter Daisy, unless there's anythin' particularly scandalous she wants to pass on." Slim rinsed off the soap. He dried himself with his shirt and pulling on his pants over still-damp skin, he stepped out of the shower and leaned his back up against the half-door of the other cubicle while he waited for Jess.

Jess gave a shrug. "Yeah… could be you're right… Let's get it over with then."

Slim stepped aside as Jess pushed open the door of the shower cubicle and placing a hand on his partner's shoulder he urged him toward the back door of the cabin.

Daisy was busy setting cups and plates out on the table in the living room as they entered and she straightened up, pushing back the wayward strand of hair from her face. She noted their wet, tousled hair, damp pants, and unbuttoned shirts. "Oh now, you boys are just in time. I have coffee all ready so why don't you dry yourselves off properly and change into some clean clothes."

Mike looked up a little sulkily before directing his attention once more to his school books and Slim exchanged an amused glance with Jess as they disappeared through the door of their shared room. Five minutes later they emerged to find Daisy setting down a plate of cookies and a pot of hot coffee on the table.

Jess walked over to stand beside Mike, looking over the boy's shoulder at the school book he was working from. He gave the blond head a gentle tousle but Mike flinched away irritably. "Hey Tiger, are you mad at me or somethin'?" Mike stubbornly refused to answer.

"Come on Mike…" Slim joined his partner at Mike's side. "I know you've been at that homework over an hour now but don't take it out on Jess. It isn't his fault you have to sit and do it now. Daisy had a hard job this mornin' tryin' to fix breakfast for the stage passengers and help you to finish your homework at the same time and we don't want it happenin' again. Anyway, isn't it better to get your work done first? How much more have you got left to do?"

Mike looked up, an apologetic expression on his face. "I guess you're right Slim.

I'm sorry Jess. Sorry Aunt Daisy. I didn't mean to forget it and I promise I won't forget again. Can I go and check my critters out now?" He started to get up from his seat at the table but Jess checked him before he could get up.

"Whoa there, Tiger. Slim asked you how much you had left to do."

With a resigned look, Mike sat down again. "Not much… honest Jess. I just got stuck on some math. Maybe it'll be easier if I come back to it later?"

Daisy bustled round to where Mike was sitting. "Now, you know that leaving it until later isn't going to make it any easier, Mike." She shooed Slim and Jess out of the way. "Will you two boys just sit down and drink your coffee before it gets cold? I'll help Mike out with the rest of his homework." She sat down next to the tow-headed boy. "Now, let's get this math problem sorted Mike and then you can go out and see to your pets." _And I can pass on my news to Slim and Jess…_

Jess caught the look in Slim's eyes and stifled a laugh. He knew exactly what Slim was thinking.

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Ten minutes later Mike gathered up his scattered books with a sigh of relief and charged off to his bedroom before anyone could change their minds and find him some chores to do. A few minutes later the three adults heard him race out of the kitchen door and over to the area where he kept his small menagerie.

Picking up the coffee pot, Daisy shook her head and laughed. "Mike's a good boy, but like all small boys he just doesn't see why he has to do homework." She offered the pot to the two men and they pushed over their cups for a refill.

Jess drew his cup back towards him. "Thanks Daisy. So… what's for supper tonight?"

Daisy refilled Slim's cup and passed it over to him. "Well, I hope you boys don't mind but as I was a bit longer in town than I'd intended I thought you wouldn't mind some fried ham and onions and fried potatoes. I have some nice green beans too that Emmy Harris gave me. She grew them herself in that truck patch she has. Oh… and I bought one of Molly's pies to have for desert. There's no time to make one myself."

"Sounds real good Daisy." Draining the last of his coffee, Jess put down his cup and picking up one of Daisy's cookies, he leaned back in his chair, balancing it on the two back legs. "Don't you think so, Slim?"

Apparently preoccupied, Slim started. "Er… what…?

Jess brought his chair upright. "Did you hear a word we said?"

"Yeah… sure I did Jess." Slim said somewhat indignantly. "We're havin' fried ham and green beans for supper. Emmy Harris's green beans. Sounds good."

Jess eyed his partner with suspicion. "Come on Slim, you were thinkin' about somethin' else. Weren't ya?"

Slim gave him a sly smile. "It wasn't anythin' much, Jess… I admit I wasn't concentratin' a whole lot on what you and Daisy were sayin' but I did hear you. I was just thinkin' we don't have enough Barn Red paint to go over the whole of that roof but I don't wanna buy a whole 5-gallon can right now if we can make do with paintin' just the new planks." Satisfied that he had dealt with the idea of having to paint the whole of the barn roof before the subject was even raised by their housekeeper, Slim turned to Daisy. "How was your trip to town Daisy?"

The diminutive housekeeper's eyes lit up. "Well… I had such a fortuitous meeting!"

"A what?" Jess frowned at the unfamiliar word. He reached for another cookie and took a large bite from it.

Daisy couldn't help smiling at the comical expression on Jess's face. "A fortuitous meeting… it means a very fortunate chance meeting… I managed to pick up that bolt of fabric for Emmy Harris at the general store and Nancy Hale was just telling me all about our new neighbours when Frank and Evie Emerson walked right into the store."

Jess choked on his cookie and Slim slapped his partner on the back while Daisy poured out some of the remaining coffee and handed it to him. Jess gulped down a mouthful of coffee. Coughing slightly, and with watering eyes, Jess nodded for Daisy to continue.

"Nancy introduced us and we had a very nice conversation. They really are a charming brother and sister. Then, I had a meal midday with Deirdre Robison but I couldn't stay long as I had to drop the curtain fabric off to Emmy. Such nice fabric…" She reflected. "I wonder whether it would look good in here. It was a very pretty blue gingham with a large check…" Daisy noticed Jess's eyes glaze over at the mention of curtain fabric and smiled to herself. Knowing full well that both men would be glad of the change of subject she launched into a description of her conversation with the Emersons.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4 – Haunted by the Past

"You told 'em about me? What did ya do that for Daisy?" Jess jumped up and striding over to the window he stood looking out, his back to Slim and Daisy.

Daisy looked surprised and confused. "Why Jess! Whatever is wrong? I only said that you and Slim were partners in the ranch. When Frank asked me if you were from Texas, I knew of no reason why I shouldn't tell them. They're bound to found out from someone and they are our new neighbours after all."

Jess rubbed the back of his neck for a brief moment easing the tension and then he looked up with a heavy sigh. "Aw heck! I'm sorry Daisy. You're right. There ain't no reason." He returned to the table and sitting down again he took hold of Daisy's hand and gave it an apologetic squeeze. "It's just… William Emerson don't think too highly of me. Leastways, he didn't when I was a kid and he hadn't changed his mind any last time I saw him. I guess I ain't lookin' forward much to runnin' into him again."

"And how long ago was it you last saw him, Jess?" Daisy asked.

The haunted look from the day before returned as Jess replied. "After the war… I had to tell Emerson and his wife their eldest son Ben had been killed. They didn't take it too well. I reckon you couldn't expect 'em to but they made me feel like I was to blame for him not makin' it back. They sure wouldn't've been grievin' none if it'd been Ben tellin' 'em about me gettin' killed."

"Jess… Frank and Evie were overjoyed to discover that you were one of their new neighbours, especially Evie. In fact, Frank asked me particularly to tell you something." Daisy made certain that she had Jess's full attention. "He asked me to tell you that his father would be very glad to see you again. He said it was important that you knew that. Now, does that sound as if his father held anything against you? William Emerson could have changed a great deal over the years Jess. He's a widower now. Evie told me her mother died shortly after they received the news about Ben. She'd been ill anyway and the grief must have been just too much for her."

Daisy could almost read Jess's feelings from the changing expressions on his face as he thought about what Daisy had said. After a short silence, he looked up at her. "I'm real sorry to hear about Alice Emerson. I reckon you'd know how hard it is to lose a son, Daisy. Ben always wanted to join the cavalry. He was forever talkin' about it but his Ma used to play on the fact that they needed him around. She'd tell him it would make her ill if he left and it'd break his father's heart. If it hadn't been for the war I guess he never would've broke away. He'd probably still be alive today."

Slim leaned quietly back in his chair, content to listen and maybe learn something about Jess's early life.

Daisy nodded sadly. "Yes… I know what she must have gone through and I have every sympathy for a mother, or father for that matter, who loses a child but I've never thought it right to blackmail your children into staying with you. They have their own lives to lead, even if it means…" Daisy faltered, looking down. She couldn't finish and fell silent, thinking about her own son who'd been killed in the war. Daisy gave a sigh and then turned back to Jess. "Do you know if Evie had a sweetheart in Texas?"

A little taken aback by the question, Jess furrowed his brow in thought. "She was too young for that the last time I saw her. She would've been about 14. That was after the war when I went back home to tell 'em about Ben."

Daisy persevered. "Wasn't there someone she might have been sweet on as she got older?"

Jess shook his head again wondering where this was leading to but he gave it a little more thought. "I don't reckon so. The Emersons didn't mix much with other folk. They had a pretty good livin' from their homestead. I'm not sayin' it came easy. They worked hard for what they had but they looked down on the poorer folk; thought they weren't good enough to mix with and a lot of those folk were pretty resentful about that. Emerson and his wife had their pride but so did the poorer folk and prejudice can go both ways Daisy. When Evie was just a little kid she was shy and real scared of the poorer kids. Some of 'em were pretty spiteful to her 'cos she had better clothes than they did. She had shoes and toys too. Not many of us kids livin' round there ever had shoes, or toys. I don't reckon there was anyone that Evie would've had much to do with when she was old enough."

Daisy looked disappointed. "Are you sure about that Jess?"

"Well… there was one kid whose Pa was real friendly with William Emerson as I recall. Zeke Patterson his name was…" Jess frowned at the memory. "He had quite an interest in Evie but it wasn't the sort of interest any decent folk'd talk about. I don't reckon Evie would've had anythin' to do with Zeke, she was real scared of him. I guess other folk could've moved that way after the war. Texas is a big place and there's plenty of land for folk willin' to settle it. Why d'ya wanna know about that Daisy?"

Daisy thought hard about the best way to impart her news. She didn't want it to come over like a choice piece of gossip. She decided to be frank. "Well, it's a little strange, but Evie has a seven-year old son and there isn't a husband with her that I heard of."

Jess looked a little shocked at this news but Slim shrugged. "What's so strange about that Daisy? She probably got married young and lost her husband to sickness or an accident or somethin' like that."

Still a little stunned by Daisy's disclosure, Jess looked over at his partner. "I reckon you're probably right Slim but Evie's five years younger'n me. It's sure hard for me to think of her as a mother and with a seven-year old son an' all. I reckon she must be about twenty-three now though, so she ain't a little kid anymore. Heck, I mostly remember her as a shy nine-year old. She was real tiny, and she had the prettiest golden curls I'd ever seen." A reminiscent smile replaced his frown at the memory of a very young Evie.

Daisy was looking thoughtful. "I suppose it _would_ be hard for you to imagine her as a grown woman Jess and you are right Slim, a lot of girls do marry very young especially in isolated communities, but she would have been only about 16 when Ben was born. That really _is_ a bit young."

"Ben…? She named him Ben…?" A sad, wistful look passed over Jess's expressive face and it didn't go unnoticed by Daisy.

 _I see… so this Ben is the real reason Jess is so upset…_ "Yes…" Daisy said out loud. "Evie told me she named him after her older brother. The real puzzle about all this is that she was most emphatic about using her maiden name. Most single mothers would at least pretend to have been married."

Jess's idiosyncratic left eyebrow quirked up toward his hair line as he considered this. He shook his head, looking thoughtful. "I can't imagine Evie bein' the sort of girl who'd have a child outside of marriage, unless… unless she was forced." Jess looked as if he would willingly shoot whoever was guilty of harming Evie in any way. "There would've been a lot of drifters around then… some of 'em were real eaten up with anger at what happened to 'em in the war. It'd be real easy for a man like that to take his anger out on a woman." _Hell, I was a drifter… but I wouldn't've forced myself on any woman, especially not one as young as Evie would've been_. "Maybe…" Jess shook his head again unwilling to voice his thoughts aloud. _There was always Zeke Patterson…_

Slim had been idly swirling the remains of the cold coffee around in his cup. Disturbed by what Jess was suggesting, he put down the cup abruptly. "That's not a good picture you're paintin' there Jess. I sure hope you're wrong."

"So do I Slim…" Jess replied. "So do I…" Both men reverted to their own thoughts.

After a long and uncomfortable silence, Daisy decided it was time to change the subject. "I hope neither of you mind but Evie invited us all to Sunday dinner and I accepted. I didn't think you would want to refuse, especially as they are our new neighbours. Ben might be a nice little friend for Mike too. Would there be room on the Laramie bound stage for him in the mornings Slim? He could go to school with Mike. It would be company for them both."

"I don't mind Daisy." Slim said, grateful for the change of topic and watching Jess's reaction to the dinner invitation carefully. "I'd be happy to meet our new neighbours, and I'm sure there'd be no problem about the stage. Mike usually sits up top anyway. How do you feel about Sunday dinner with William Emerson, Jess?"

Jess gave one of his rueful grins, puckering up his firm chin. "I reckon our paths are bound to cross at some point so I might as well get it over with. I got nothin' against William Emerson, 'cept that he didn't like me just because my folks didn't have much. It's just the thought of how he'll react to seein' me again. But it'll be good to see Frank and Evie whatever else happens. Sure Daisy, I don't mind."

Standing up, Daisy smoothed down her apron. "That's settled then. Would one of you mind tracking Mike down and making sure he cleans himself up ready for supper? I have everything ready and it will only take about twenty minutes to cook."

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By the time Daisy's little "family" as she thought of them, were seated around the supper table, Jess had obviously been brooding on the discussion they'd had, as well as on renewing his acquaintance with William Emerson on Sunday. Mike was full of questions about the Emersons and about Ben in particular and he targeted most of these at Jess. When Jess wasn't able to answer, Mike wrinkled his brow. "But you must know somethin' about him Jess. You said you knew his Ma didn't ya? What was his Pa like? Is Ben like his Pa or his Ma?"

Not really sure how to answer the last question, Jess fell back on the truth. "Well, I can't really tell ya _anythin'_ about him Tiger. Evie was just a little kid last time I saw her and I don't know what happened to any of 'em after that. It was Daisy who met Frank and Evie in town so I guess she knows a lot more'n me." He tousled Mike's hair. "I reckon you'll just have to wait until Sunday and ask Ben all those questions you got."

Frowning, Mike jiggled around on his chair. "But that's three days away! Don't you know _any_ more about Ben, Aunt Daisy?"

Daisy shook her head. "No Mike dear, I don't… and you really musn't ask any questions about Ben's father on Sunday. He isn't with them and we don't know why. It would be rude to ask and it might be very hurtful to Evie and Ben."

Seeing that Jess was reluctant to spend any more time on the subject and had retreated into his thoughts again, Slim turned to Mike. "You've gotta learn to be a little more patient Mike. I hope you don't behave like this on Sunday. Now why don't you clear the dishes for Daisy and then me and Jess'll wash and dry 'em."

"Aw Slim… Do I have to? We haven't had desert yet…" Mike wrinkled his nose in disapproval, whether at being told to clear the dishes or at being deprived of desert, Slim wasn't sure.

"Now Mike…" Daisy intervened "I have a real treat for us from Molly's café tonight but you have to clear the dishes first like Slim asked you to."

Mike's face brightened instantly. "Oh boy! Is it apple pie Aunt Daisy? With cream?"

"It's a surprise… but I _can_ tell you it is _not_ apple pie. You will have to wait to find out until you've cleared those dishes." Daisy looked over at Jess, who was staring into space, seemingly oblivious to what was taking place around him. "Jess dear, are you going to finish those last few fried potatoes?"

A slight frown creased Jess's brow but he didn't answer. Daisy reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, "Jess? Mike is going to clear the table. Do you want the rest of your supper?"

Daisy's voice drifted into Jess's awareness. "Sorry Daisy, I guess I was somewheres else for a minute or two? Did I miss somethin' I shouldn't have?"

"You didn't miss anythin' Jess," Slim told him "except that Mike is gonna clear the table and _**we**_ are gonna wash and dry the dishes."

Mike jumped up from his seat and ran round to Jess, reaching out to grab his plate. "And then we get desert!" He informed Jess.

Slim grabbed Mike's arm before he could take the plate. "Now hold on, Mike. Jess didn't say he'd finished yet, did he?"

"Aw, come on Jess… Aunt Daisy won't even tell us what desert is until we've cleared the table. It's from Molly's…"

Jess pushed his plate away from him toward Mike. "Well that about settles it… OK Tiger, take it away. But what's so special about Molly's pie? Sure, it's good but Daisy turns out the best apple pie in Wyomin'."

"Why thank you Jess." Daisy inclined her head, acknowledging the compliment. "But we aren't having apple pie tonight. I thought we'd have a change. I know you and Slim like this one but I can't make it as well as Molly can and that is all I am prepared to say until the dishes are cleared."

As Mike gathered the plates and cutlery and carried them carefully out to the kitchen, Slim got to his feet. "Come on Jess. The quicker we get this lot cleared up, the quicker we can have that special desert and the quicker Mike'll quieten down."

Jess followed Slim out to the kitchen. "Yeah OK Slim… but this time, _you_ can wash and _I'll_ dry."

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An hour later, the remains of a large lemon meringue pie sat in the centre of the table and a satisfied aura pervaded the entire room. Jess had snapped out of his brooding for long enough to eat two slices of pie and was now sitting back in his chair looking as if he could drift off to sleep at any moment.

As she brought in a pot of coffee, Daisy saw Jess's head nod slightly. "Why don't you go and sit in the rocking chair Jess? You look as if you are about to fall off that chair at any moment."

Slim was already sitting in one of the chairs in front of the hearth although it was a warm night and the fire was unlit. Jess got slowly up and wandered over to his favourite chair. Daisy plumped up the cushion that was positioned against the wooden chair back and Jess sat down leaning gratefully against it. Daisy set a glass of milk down in front of Mike as he sat at the table desultorily turning the pages of a child's picture book on horses. She then poured out three cups of coffee, handing one to Slim and placing another down on the hearth beside Jess before settling in her usual seat. Picking up her sewing basket she glanced over at Mike. "Drink that milk Mike and then get yourself ready for bed. It's way past your usual bedtime and you have school tomorrow. I don't want to have to drag you out of bed in the morning."

Mike grumbled a little but he was tired and picking up the glass of milk, he drank it down quickly. Getting up from the table, he said his goodnights to Slim and Jess. Jess stirred himself from the dark study he'd drifted into. "G'night Tiger. Sleep tight. I'll come and tuck you in soon."

Mike went last to Daisy. "Thanks for the desert Aunt Daisy. It was real good. Will Johnson calls that white crunchy stuff on top, calf slobber."

Slim and Jess chuckled. They'd heard it called much the same by Andy when Jonesy had baked one as a birthday treat.

Daisy burst out laughing. "Oh Mike! What a dreadful name for something so delicious! I'm very glad you didn't tell me that before I ate it. It's French and it's called meringue… now off to bed with you."

Mike glanced briefly over to the two men as he picked up the book from the table and took it into the bedroom with him. When Jess went in ten minutes later, he found Mike sitting up asleep, with the book on his lap. He eased it from the young boy's grasp and slid him gently down the bed, covering him up with the quilt. Mike didn't stir and Jess went back into the living room, closing the door quietly behind him.

After a brief conversation with Slim about the need to finish the barn roof and turn their attention to some of the ranch work which had been neglected over the last few days, Jess seemed to become preoccupied with his thoughts again and disinclined to talk. Daisy would have liked to raise the subject of the Emersons again but thought better of it.

Slim was deep in the pages of a book by William Makepeace Thackeray and Daisy was carefully sewing a tear in the sleeve of one of Jess's work shirts when Jess muttered agitatedly under his breath. They both looked up in surprise. Jess had been dozing quietly in his chair for a half hour or so. He was obviously dreaming but this was not unusual. Slim was only too aware that Jess sleeping could sometimes be almost as active as Jess waking but to his knowledge Jess's nightmares usually manifested themselves around the middle of the night or in the early hours of the morning.

Daisy exchanged a look with Slim, wondering whether they should wake him but Slim shook his head. "Leave him be Daisy. It might just pass".

Jess's restlessness continued however and after ten minutes of increasing agitation he sat bolt upright in his chair, an expression of pure horror on his face. "I can't Francie… I… I can't…!" he cried out. His eyes were open but he was patently unaware of his surroundings and appeared to be struggling in the grip of some terrible fear. Slim went over to him as Jess tucked his hands under his armpits and leaned forward whimpering, like a frightened child. Slim placed his hands gently but firmly on his partner's shoulders.

"Jess…! Wake up! You're OK Jess. You're safe…" Slim gave Jess a gentle shake. "Hey pard… it's me, Slim. Wake up!"

Jess's gaze flickered around the room, taking in his surroundings and then locked onto Slim's face. He fell back against the cushion, trembling, his breathing little more than a series of shaky gasps. As full awareness returned, Jess looked acutely embarrassed. "I reckon I must've been dreamin' or somethin'." He looked at his hands as if surprised to find them all in one piece. "I can smell smoke Slim…" Jess half rose from the chair. "Are you sure there ain't somethin' alight out there?"

Slim pushed Jess gently back onto the chair. "There's no smoke, Jess." He strode over and opened the cabin door, stepping out onto the porch. "Nothin's burnin'. I guess you're just haunted by the past." He came back in leaving the door to the porch open.

Daisy had gone into the kitchen and put a pot of coffee on the stove and she now came back into the living room with a shot glass of whiskey. "Here Jess, drink this down. It'll help."

Jess held out a slightly unsteady hand and took hold of the glass but he just sat and stared at it, a haunted look in his eyes.

"Don't just sit and look at it Jess. Drink it…" Slim lifted his hand toward Jess's to persuade him to raise the glass to his lips, but Jess pushed his friend's hand away and swallowed down the shot in one gulp, grimacing as the potent liquor burned it's way down his throat. Handing the glass back to Slim he leaned forward and rested his head in his hands with a little groan.

Slim put the empty glass on the table and crouched down beside his partner's chair. "Why don't we sit out on the porch for a while Jess. It's a beautiful evenin' and the air'll do you good."

Jess allowed himself to be led out onto the porch, but he still seemed to be only half aware of his surroundings. The two men sat there in silence, Slim content to wait until Jess was ready to talk. After ten minutes or so, Slim rose and went back inside for a few minutes and then came back out holding two large mugs of coffee. He offered one to Jess. Heaving a deep sigh, Jess reached out a hand to take the mug. He seemed to be back to himself again. Slim pulled a bottle from the waistband of his pants and uncorking it, he held it up. Jess grinned as he held out his mug to be topped up with the whiskey. "You'll be in trouble if Daisy catches you with that" he remarked.

Slim merely returned his partner's grin and topping up his own mug, he sat down prepared to wait for however long it took for Jess to open up.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5 – In the Face of the Enemy

Sipping at his coffee, Jess stared out into the soft darkness. Slim sat quietly, reluctant to intrude on his partner's thoughts. If Jess wanted to talk, he was ready to listen but it was rare for his partner to talk about his early years and Slim was aware that it would be very hard on Jess to dredge up the painful memories that he'd kept to himself for so long.

Lost in the memory of the horrendous fire that had consumed his childhood home and most of his family, Jess said nothing for several minutes and the deep silence of the night was broken only by the constant background singing of the katydids and the croaking of the frogs in the creek. After a while, he brought his mind back to the present and turned to look at Slim. He knew his friend was expecting him to talk it out but he felt unable to put the memories of that terrible evening into words. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as if pulling himself together. "I was dreamin' about the fire that killed my folks but I can't talk about it Slim. Not right now, maybe not ever."

Placing his mug of coffee down on the porch next to the whiskey bottle, Slim put a comforting hand on Jess's shoulder. "I guessed as much Jess. You always seem to dream about that when you're troubled about somethin'. I don't expect you to talk about it. I've heard enough of your nightmares to piece most of it together. Do you feel you could tell me about Ben? It is the memory of Ben that's been troublin' you isn't it?"

Jess gave Slim a grateful smile. "Yeah… mostly it's about Ben. But it brought back memories of the time me and Francie spent with my uncle after the fire too. I sure missed Ben in those days."

"Why don't you tell me about it?" Slim doubted whether Jess would agree but he figured it was worth a try.

Jess hesitated. "It's a long story… You sure you wanna sit and listen to it?"

"A real bad memory is a bit like a wound Jess. If you just cover it up and leave it, it'll fester, and the infection has to come out somehow. A bit like those bad dreams of yours. Clean a wound properly and let the air get to it and it'll heal. I think you need to talk about it Jess and I got nothin' else to do right now but sit and listen."

Accepting Slim's comment Jess leaned forward in the chair, looking down at the boards of the porch and wondering where to start. He began by talking about how he'd come to know Frank and Evie, about his friendship with their older brother Ben and how much William Emerson and his wife had disapproved of him and his family.

Jess fell silent for a few minutes while he pulled his thoughts together. "Me and Ben… we got to be real good friends, but after the fire I lost touch with him. An uncle of mine on my Ma's side had a small place a coupla miles outside of Fort Worth. The school mistress had known my Ma real well and she tracked my uncle down and wrote to him. He took me and Francie to live with him and his wife and kids. It was good of 'em I guess; they had their own young'uns to feed and clothe besides us but me and Francie always felt we were expected to show how grateful we were the whole time and that got real irksome. Francie helped out with the kids and the chores around the house and she fitted in just fine, but right from the start, for some reason I couldn't work out then, my uncle got it into his head I was downright bad. From somethin' Francie said after we met up again last year, I gather he never approved of my Pa's family. I'd burned my hands, tryin' to get to Ma and the little'uns and it was a while before I could do anythin' much to help out. My uncle resented that. He seemed to think that if I had any time to myself, I'd get into some sort of trouble and soon as my hands healed up some he got me a job at the livery stable. I did a full week's work there as well as havin' to do all the chores he could find for me around his place."

Rubbing absently at the faint scars on the palms of his hands Jess had to steel himself to face his demons before speaking indirectly of what he'd never been able to put into words. "Every night in my dreams, I heard the shot that killed my Pa and watched him fall from his horse. I heard the thunderin' of hooves as the Bannister gang rode all around our cabin settin' fire to it. I could hear the crackle of the flames and the screams of Ma and the little'uns. I could feel the heat of it… even smelled the smoke after I woke up. Just like tonight…" Jess's voice broke slightly at this point. He felt his throat close up but he swallowed hard and carried on. "I was a real troubled kid about then and no matter what Francie said, I just couldn't get it into my head that I'd done enough to save 'em. I still feel like that even now… leastwise, I do when I get those dreams."

As he remembered the feelings of guilt that accompanied his sense of loss and how the desire to make the Bannister brothers pay for what they'd done filled his waking hours and fuelled his nightmares, Jess lowered his head and took a deep breath, letting it out in a shaky sigh. Slim sat quietly listening, not daring to interrupt or even to offer words of comfort in case Jess pushed the troubling memories back down where he didn't have to think about them.

After a few minutes of thought, Jess resumed his story. "My uncle told me he was sick of havin' his household woken up every night by my yellin' and if I couldn't get a hold of myself I'd have to start sleepin' in the hayloft. I suppose lookin' back, I can't really blame him. He had a couple of kids of his own to think about. Anyways, I couldn't stop the nightmares anymore than I could stop breathin', so I ended up sleepin' in the hayloft every night but I was real mad at him. For Francie's sake I stuck it out with my uncle for about six months but his attitude and the hankerin' after vengeance was eatin' me up. I was desperate to get away but everythin' I'd saved of what I earned from Mr Manning at the store was burned up in that fire. The only thing I'd salvaged was my Pa's gun and his old horse and saddle. He had the gun on him when he was killed but his rifle was in the cabin when the Bannisters attacked us. My uncle seemed to think the horse was his property when we went to live with him. He certainly treated it as his but I had other ideas. I never got to see any part of my pay from the livery stable. The old boy who ran the livery handed it all over to my uncle and he took every last dollar to cover me and Francie's keep. I never saw even one red cent of it.

"One evenin', he wouldn't get off my back about somethin' that had been messed up in the barn. It weren't nothin' to do with me. One of his kids had enough guts to own up to it, but he wouldn't listen. He was in his stride by then and he just kept on at me about bein' shiftless and lazy and how I'd end up on the wrong end of a rope. I got real mad and I couldn't keep quiet any longer, not even for Francie's sake. We had an all-out row and he backhanded me. It wasn't the first time, but that night was the last time he ever got to do it. He wasn't a real tall man but he was heavily built and he knocked me clear across the room. He thought that'd be the end of it like always, but I'd had enough of bein' bullied. I got to my feet somehow and I hit him back. I put all the anger and pain I could muster behind that blow. He wasn't expectin' it and I knocked him down."

Listening to Jess's story in silence, Slim's heart ached for what his friend had been through but at this point Jess chuckled and threw him a sudden grin as he remembered the pandemonium that ensued his retaliation.

"You should've seen 'em Slim. There was my uncle sittin' on the floor, leanin' up against the wall. He was moanin' and nursin' his jaw while my aunt hauled on his shirt tryin' to drag him up on his feet. She was wailin' fit to bring the house down, the kids were screamin', and poor Francie was cryin'. I grabbed what few things I had, said my goodbyes to Francie and then I took my Pa's horse and gun… they weren't any use to Francie so I figured they were mine… and I hightailed it outta there like the whole Apache nation was after me. I reckon I would've starved if I hadn't been used to huntin' with my Pa to help put meat on the table for my family. As it was, I very nearly didn't survive that first week. The only blanket I had was the horse blanket. I didn't have a rifle, I had hardly any bullets for the hand gun and no money to buy any so if I wanted anythin' to eat I had to snare it. Skinnin' and guttin' a rabbit was somethin' I'd done many times with my Pa but cookin' it was somethin' I'd never had to do. I ended up sick as a horse and with a real bad bellyache from not cookin' it right."

As Jess paused, Slim leaned over and topped up his half empty mug of coffee from the bottle of medicinal whisky he'd brought out with him. "Was that about the time you met Dixie Howard, Jess?"

Taking a sip from his mug, Jess nodded. "Yeah. It was a few months after that. I didn't think so at the time but lookin' back, I was real lucky not to have met up with the Bannisters in those first few months. I found enough work to feed myself and stock up on ammunition. One old rancher I worked for took a likin' to me. He gave me an old rifle he had tucked away in his barn. I thought I was real sharp but I was just a green kid and still wet behind the ears. And then I met up with Dixie.

"Apart from the time I spent with my uncle, I'd never been any further than the place I grew up in. Sure, I'd learned how to fight dirty with my fists and I was a good shot with the huntin' rifle. I'd practiced some with my Pa's gun and I was already gettin' to be pretty fast when Dixie came across me. I was cocky as all get out but I was about as green as they come and I had no idea how to read people or situations. Heck, I wasn't even 16 and I was certainly no match for the Bannisters. I don't know what it was Dixie saw in me but he took me under his wing and taught me most everythin' I needed to know about stayin' alive." Jess looked over at Slim and grinned wickedly. "It was Dixie as taught me about dealin' off the bottom of the deck too. The rest I learnt by myself; in the war, ridin' dispatch for the Union durin' the Indian wars, and then on the drift until I wound up here."

While Slim and Jess were talking out on the porch, Daisy was sitting by the fire in the living room and catching up with some sewing before turning in for the night. Slim had left the cabin door open and she could hear Jess's voice. It was a sad story and Daisy's motherly heart went out to him. She was glad that he was talking things through with Slim. She put down her mending and chuckled to herself. Slim may have thought he'd gotten away with sneaking out with the bottle of medicinal whiskey but it hadn't escaped her notice. _Well_ , _it's being put to good use but those boys had better have something to dilute it with_. Daisy went out to the kitchen to brew a fresh pot of coffee.

Ten minutes later both men looked round as Daisy came out onto the porch. "I thought you boys might need some more coffee." She bent to pour the fresh coffee into the two mugs that Slim held out to her. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Nah, we're fine thanks Daisy." Jess gave her a fond smile.

Daisy put the coffee pot down on the boards of the porch and straightening up, she laid her hand fondly on Jess's arm and bent down to kiss his cheek. "Well, I'll leave the pot with you. Don't forget to bring it in with you when you come in. I still have a little mending to do and then I think I'll get off to bed. I'll see you both in the morning. Goodnight now, and don't stay up too late, will you?"

Jess gave Daisy's small hand an affectionate squeeze. Slim half stood and leaning over, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Daisy went back into the cabin but she left the door ajar to get the benefit of the cooler night air and settled down to a little more mending. She hoped too that Jess would talk to Slim about Ben.

Picking up the bottle of whiskey Slim poured a little more of the fiery liquor into each of their mugs.

Jess took an appreciative sip, savouring the warming effect of the alcohol on his nervous stomach. "I reckon you'd better slip a new bottle of that red-eye into Daisy's medical supplies. She wouldn't approve of the use we're puttin' it to right now."

Slim shrugged. "Oh, I don't reckon Daisy'll object. I'm pretty sure she saw me take it and I'd say you could do with a little medicinal boost right now Pard." He put the whiskey bottle back down beside the coffee pot. "How did you meet up with Ben again, Jess?"

Looking sideways at Slim, Jess gave his partner a crooked grin. "That sure was somethin' Slim… Me and Dixie rode together for just over a year but then we had a partin' of the ways. Dixie wanted to go west and I wanted to head for the Mexican border. I had no intention of joinin' either side in the war but I ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and got conscripted by the Confederate army. winter of '63 that was and I wasn't quite 17 but they didn't seem to care about that. I had a good horse by that time so they were happy to assign me to a Confederate cavalry unit. I was real fast with a gun too and I could shoot straighter'n most with a rifle. At first, we didn't do much 'cept scoutin' and patrollin' and we didn't see much hand-to-hand combat. Most of that got left to the infantry and they reckoned we had a real easy life but after a coupla months we got into a lot more direct combat and things started gettin' a mite rough."

Jess's mind drifted back to his service in the Confederate cause. It was a hard and dirty war that Jess had little interest in but once conscripted he was given no choice but to fight on the Confederate side despite being under 17. He'd seen boys much younger than he was… frightened boys hardly even in their teens, fighting and dying for a cause they knew nothing much about and he reckoned his lot wasn't so bad. He had no particular allegiance to the southern cause but he did have a strong sense of comradeship and an intense loyalty to the men he fought beside and he would have risked his life for any one of them. Jess brought his mind back to the present and took a long drink of his coffee, savouring the aftertaste of the alcohol before putting his mug down on the porch.

"I took a couple of minor injuries in the first months of fightin' but in the late fall of '63, what was left of my unit was sent east to boost the Army of North Virginia and we found ourselves fightin' under ole' Jeb."

"James Ewell Brown Stuart…" Slim said as Jess paused. "He was a good General. You must've been proud to serve under his command Jess."

Frowning, Jess considered Slim's comment. "I don't know that I was particularly proud to serve under any of 'em, Slim. I never did have any real loyalty to the South… 'cept to the men I fought with. I had a lot of respect for Stuart though. He was a good man, but in the end we had too few men and too little artillery. Stuart gained a few victories before he got himself killed but they were at a huge cost."

Jess looked up at the stars illuminating the night sky. "I remember it was already dusk when we arrived at the encampment to join our new unit. I was told to bivouac in one of the tents at the edge of a clearin' in the trees. The light was all but gone by the time I got to it and the only light in the tent was from a small storm lantern hangin' from one of the poles in the centre but it was turned right down and most of the floor space was taken up with men sleepin'. I started to pick my way to a vacant spot to lay out my saddle and bedroll but I tripped over one of the men catchin' up on some sleep before supper."

Remembering the chance meeting, Jess gave a sad little smile. "He was real mad at bein' disturbed and he got to his feet ready to lay into me. Someone turned up the lamp and there was Ben standin' there glarin' at me, larger than life and twice as ugly… Can you believe that, Slim? Of all the tents I could have got sent to and of all the men I could have tripped over, it had to be Ben. Well, he recognised me before he got to hittin' me so he cleared a space next to his bedroll and we settled down to catch up on what we'd both been up to."

Slim shook his head in disbelief. "That was some coincidence, Jess. When Paul Halleck turned up in Laramie just after we first met, you said you'd been captured by the 7th Michigan. Was Ben with you then?"

Jess's expression took on a look of profound sadness as he nodded in answer to Slim's question. "Yeah, he was with me but he didn't survive to be captured. We fought together for just over six months me an' Ben and we went on a lot of dangerous patrols in that time. Ben was a good man to have at your back, a real good man and a real good friend. You'd've liked him…" Jess looked away. Talking about Ben was stirring up all the feelings he'd carefully pushed down and hidden away, mercilessly uncovering them and dragging them back up into the light. He'd never talked about this part of his life to anyone, not even Francie. He was surprised at how raw the emotions were after all these years and he found it hard to keep them under control.

"Just before we went out on that last patrol, we had a few men assigned to the unit who'd seen some real bad fightin'. You know what it was like Slim, you fought a hard war yourself. It don't matter what side you fought on, there weren't none of it good, 'ceptin some of the men you served with. There was one man… hell he was just a kid and he shouldn't ever've been signed off as fit to fight. He'd lied about his age when he joined up, not that he really needed to. They never asked too many questions about age. He was desperate to fight for the Confederate cause. You know the type… all honour and glory, until they get caught in their first real battle. By the time this kid was foisted onto our unit, he'd seen a fair bit of the war and been badly wounded. His body had healed all right but his head was all wrong and his nerves were shot to pieces. When the rifle fire and cannon got too close, he'd break out in a cold sweat and couldn't stop shakin'. He was a nice kid but I can't even remember his real name now; I just remember he had a big shock of reddish-blond hair so we called him Sandy. We all liked him and we looked out for him as much as we could. It wasn't his fault he was in such a bad state, but no one wanted to fight alongside him. In the face of the enemy he was a danger to everyone around him."

Getting up from his seat on the porch and stretching, Jess half sat on the hitching rail, his back against the large post supporting the roof of the porch as he looked out across the moonlit yard. "Well… we got orders to scout out the enemy lines; I seem to recall there was a hill our unit had to defend… Laurel Hill, I think it was; just outside some town I can't even remember the name of now. It was early May '64, not long before Stuart was killed; we had ourselves a brand-new captain and he called for volunteers. Sandy stepped up straight away and you could see everyone who was about to volunteer think twice about it and hold back. At the time, I couldn't understand why he did it… his head was all messed up and he was a wreck. Ben and me, we tried to tell the captain that Sandy wasn't fit for the patrol, that he'd just be a danger to the rest of us, but he didn't know his men and he wasn't interested in what we had to say. The only thing he was interested in was makin' a name for himself and maybe gettin' a good promotion. So, we got saddled with Sandy… the poor kid. Lookin' back, I reckon he had a death wish. I'm pretty sure he'd had about all he could take and he never intended to come back from that patrol. Trouble is, he darn near took us all with him."

Jess turned his face up to the night sky as if he was studying the stars, but his eyes were closed and Slim guessed that he was overcome by the memory.

"What happened Jess?" he urged, after a long silence.

As Slim's voice broke into his dark thoughts, Jess opened his eyes and when he continued his voice was huskier than usual. "We worked our way round behind the enemy lines but before we could scout out the area we found ourselves trapped between two units. Our brand-new shiny captain was either totally unaware of the 7th Michigan bein' in that area, or he knew and never bothered to let us in on the secret. How he ever got to be put in charge of a unit I'll never know. Whatever the reason, they came on us too suddenly, and the only place we could retreat to was a ruined building. We were on the outskirts of the town and we were pinned down on one side by rifle fire from the 7th. On the other side we came under fire from heavy artillery and things got real bad. I wasn't even sure whether it was our artillery or theirs. All I know is we were hammered by the cannon until our ears rang."

I could see Sandy gettin' more and more crazy from the sound of the guns. He leapt up all of a sudden, screamin' at the top of his voice and before we could stop him he made a run for it. We knew he wouldn't make it and we'd never get him back into that building alive, but we had to try. Me and Ben and a couple of others went after him. We tried to give him some cover and pull him back but we didn't stand a chance. Sandy got most of his head blown away right in front of us. He was dead before he hit the ground. Ben was hit too but it weren't more'n a scrape. I took a bullet just under my shoulder blade and one in the side. I remember Ben got me up on my feet and started to haul me back to our shelter, but then a shell exploded. It was real close… too close." Jess's voice began to shake but he took another deep breath and carried on.

"We were knocked off our feet by the blast. It must've been one of those hollow shells 'cause I can remember seein' the large fragments flyin' past me. I heard Ben scream as he let go of me, and then I must've passed out. When I came to, it was dark. I could hear men movin' around and I could hear voices but the guns and the cannon were silent. I tried to move but I hurt too much. There was a heavy weight lyin' across my chest pinnin' me down and somethin' warm and wet runnin' down my neck. I thought I'd taken a shell fragment. I remember seein' the flickerin' of a torch in the darkness and I must've called out or somethin' 'cos someone… a Union soldier I guess… pulled the weight off my chest and hauled me up. They dragged me away, but not before I saw Ben in the torchlight. His eyes were wide open and starin' right at me. Most of his chest had been torn away by one of the shell fragments." There was a sudden catch in Jess's voice as he relived the moment in his mind, but he forced himself to continue, choking out the words from a throat aching with reawakened grief.

"It was Ben's body they'd pulled off me… and his blood that'd been runnin' down my neck. I can still see the look of shock on his face. I puked till there was nothin' left to puke up. I nearly died in that damned prison hospital they took me to and after I was declared fit to leave, I spent six months in that stinkin' hell hole of a prison that Halleck ran." Jess stood up suddenly, turning his back to Slim as he brought his feelings under control. "I was only too glad to sign up to fight in the Indian wars out west. I served as a dispatch rider out of Fort Lincoln but when my term of service was up I went back to Texas to break the news of Ben's death to his Ma and Pa, and then I went on the drift again lookin' for the Bannisters. I reckon you know the rest."

Jess stood with bowed shoulders, and running a shaking hand through his hair he took a shuddering breath. Slim was on his feet now, standing close to his friend and he put a steadying hand on Jess's shoulder. "We both did things in the war that we regret now and we saw things that'll haunt us for the rest of our lives. It was hell on both sides, Jess. But the one important thing to remember is that it's over…"

"Yeah Slim… the war's over… but you're right; it sure was hell and the memory of it just keeps comin' back. Ben and me… we made a pact that if only one of us survived the war, that one would take the news home to the other's family. Well, I didn't have no family 'cept Francie but it fell to me anyway and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Alice Emerson took the news real hard and I could see by the look on William's face that he was wonderin' why I survived and his son didn't…" Jess felt his throat close up as the bottled-up emotion threatened to break free. "Hearin' about Emerson yesterday… it brought it all back just like it was last month or last week. I thought I'd put it all behind me after that business with Halleck and Newt but it's still there. The noise of the guns… the stink of blood and fear and the screams of men and horses dyin' all round me…"

Jess's voice broke on the words and his shoulders tensed under Slim's hand.

"You needed to talk about this to lay the ghost. Don't push it all back down again Jess. Let it go, once and for all. It'll poison you from the inside out if you don't. Especially now we have Emerson as a neighbour." As Slim tightened his grip on Jess's shoulder he felt a tremor go through his friend's frame. Abruptly, Jess thrust away from Slim's hand and jumped down from the porch striding quickly towards the barn.

A muscle twitched in Slim's jaw as he watched Jess walk away. He started to follow but then hesitated. Jess was on the point of breaking and he wouldn't thank Slim for being a witness to it. Feeling powerless to help his friend, Slim sat back down on the porch and stared miserably at the boards for what seemed like an age and then he stood and made his way to the barn.

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

Jess flung open the door of the barn and strode over to Traveller's stall. The horse was dozing but he awoke and gave a low nicker of greeting as Jess leaned against the strong barrel of the horse's side. Sensing his rider's distress, Traveller turned his head to nuzzle at him. The tightness in Jess's chest rendered him breathless and his throat burned with the effort of suppressing his anguish. He struggled with it for several minutes, but as the first half-stifled sob of grief was torn from him, he sank to the ground on his knees overcome by the reluctant, painful sobs of a man who wasn't used to letting go of his deeper emotions. Jess knelt in the straw of Traveller's stall for a long time. The horse nudged anxiously at his distraught rider and Jess swiped the sleeve of his shirt across his eyes, climbing shakily to his feet and turning once more to the quiet presence of his horse.

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

It was dark in the barn after the moonlit yard and Slim stood in the doorway as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. Slim knew Jess was in the habit of talking through his troubles with Traveller. He could see the dark shape of his partner as he stood with his head pressed against Traveller's mane. Whether Jess was aware of his presence Slim couldn't tell. He walked quietly over to where Jess stood and put an arm around his friend's shoulders. Traveller tossed his head and nuzzled at his rider's neck as he lifted his face from the horse's mane. Jess didn't resist as Slim pulled him gently away from Traveller and guided him out of the barn and back over to his seat on the porch. Jess sank down, emotionally drained and mortified by his failure to contain his emotions.

Jess had been aware of Slim standing quietly in the doorway to the barn and he was grateful to his partner for allowing him the time to regain his composure. Taking the whiskey bottle Slim held out, he took a long pull, coughing as the strong liquor hit the back of his raw throat. Then, as the whiskey began to work its magic, he took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly. Wordlessly, he handed the bottle back to Slim and after taking a few more steadying breaths, he looked sideways at his friend.

"Thanks, Pard…" he said in a husky voice that still shook slightly. "I feel a whole lot lighter now, that's for sure. Trouble is, I also feel more than a little drunk. I reckon I'll sleep like a log tonight. Just don't expect me to be up too early tomorrow is all."

Slim clapped him on the back. "That's what friends are for Jess." He held the whiskey bottle up to the light. There wasn't a lot left. Giving a shrug, he lifted the bottle to his lips and drank the remaining liquor. "Now we're both a little drunk. Come on Pard… I reckon its time we turned in."

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As Daisy heard Jess stride away towards the barn, she realised she had been gripping Jess's work shirt tightly to her breast. She dabbed away the tears with the shirt and shoved it hastily back in her sewing basket. She hurried into her bedroom feeling a little guilty that she hadn't been able to tear herself away from listening as Jess spoke about Ben. She knew a little of what Jess had been through during the war from his ramblings as she nursed him through sickness or injury but she hadn't been prepared for what she'd overheard tonight. She couldn't help but think about her own son, David and wonder how that last battle had been for him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6 – A Touch of Cideritis

As Daisy drove the buckboard over the neglected track toward the Emerson's home she was shocked to see so many weeds growing through the bluestem grass that was native to the area. The well-kept dirt track Daisy remembered had almost disappeared beneath the welter of cheat grass and other invasive weeds that colonised the once-rich grazing land on either side. Even Mike knew there was no way livestock could graze safely on this land. The young boy looked around disapprovingly at the weeds that could be so toxic to both cattle and horses.

Slim and Jess rode either side of the buckboard as it rattled and bounced over the

uneven ground. Jess rode in a bit closer beside Daisy. "It sure is in a bad state. Are you OK handlin' the reins over this ground Daisy? I could take over if you like and tie Trav up behind the buckboard?"

Daisy glanced briefly at Jess, reluctant to take her eyes off the way ahead for even a second or two. "It's all right Jess… I can manage and it isn't much further now. It certainly has deteriorated sadly in such a short time. Why, I can remember you and Slim describing this as being prime grazing land just before poor Mr Hackett died."

Slim studied the neglected ground. "It doesn't take long for colonisation of this sort to get out of hand in untended ground. That's one of the reasons we check our fences so regularly Daisy. We're lucky none of our main pastures abuts this part of the property but even so once cattle start to stray there's no tellin' where they'll wander off to. Even when old Hackett got so sick, those two hands of his looked after his stock and made sure the pasture was grazed properly so as to prevent this sort of weed growth. I just hope Emerson gets this cut down soon. It wouldn't do for the seeds to drift into surrounding hay fields. I've known whole herds to be destroyed from bein' fed contaminated hay. Horses too."

Daisy guided the buckboard team over a particularly rough patch of ground. "How on earth will they clear all this? It has to be the work of several seasons surely?"

Jess eased Traveller closer to the buckboard again. "Back in Texas, William Emerson was more of a farmer than a cattleman Daisy. He and his wife kept hogs and chickens, and a few dairy cows as well but their main interest was in growing crops. They used to sell any produce they had spare and I remember he always harvested enough hay to feed the small amount of livestock they kept over the winter months. I reckon he'll be lookin' to do much the same here. He's got enough land now to do it on a larger scale but he'll probably need to employ a hand or two."

Crossing over to the other side of the buckboard, Slim rode up alongside Jess. "He's got a lot of work ahead of him then. If he could get some cattle grazin' this pasture in the early spring before the weeds develop I reckon that'd help but there's a lot of cheat grass here and if it's left until the seed heads start to develop…"

Jess nodded grimly knowing all too well the damage that cheat grass awns could do to the mouths and throats of cattle. "A decent-sized herd of cattle'd trample down whatever growth was left after spring grazin' but I can't see Emerson raisin' beef. As I recall, he'd a pair of oxen to pull his plow. My Pa used to struggle with a real old horse-drawn plow. We only had Pa's horse to pull it and us kids used to follow along behind with hoes. I remember Emerson havin' a plow made up by the local blacksmith to his own pattern and then he sold off the oxen and bought a couple of draft horses. Percherons, I think they were. Ben told me that those horses could plow twice as much ground in a day as the oxen could with the old plow. He still had those draft horses after the war; I saw 'em in the paddock when I went back to tell him about Ben, though I don't know how he managed to keep hold of 'em… Same reason they didn't suffer the same sort of raidin' as most of the South I guess. The darn place was just too far out of the way for anyone to find it."

As they reached the end of the overgrown pasture, they found a rough, temporary fence erected, with a simple gate leading on to a cleared swathe of land extending right up to the well-sized ranch house that had been built by the previous owner. A wide area of land had been cleared at the back of the house too and it was obvious that recent repairs had been made to the roof of the ranch house, as well as to the large barn and the various smaller outbuildings. Riding up to the gate Jess leaned down and unlatched it, drawing it back far enough for Daisy to drive the buckboard through. Slim rode through after the buckboard leaving Jess to close the gate and secure it before urging Traveller after his partner.

As they approached the ranch house, a stocky man who looked to be in his mid-40s stepped out onto the covered veranda which extended along the entire front of the house. Jess recognised him instantly and felt a familiar twinge of dread. William Emerson hadn't changed much except for his slightly-greying hair and the wide smile of greeting. Jess had rarely seen Emerson smile and he'd never had the man's smile directed toward himself. Emerson was joined by his son who stepped down from the veranda to steady the buckboard team as Daisy reined in the horses in front of the house. Mike jumped down from the buckboard as Frank took the reins from Daisy and tied them to the hitching rail.

"Hi, young fella, I reckon you must be Mike." Frank gave Mike's blond hair a quick tousle and then turned to hand Daisy safely down.

"Welcome Daisy… and it's real good to meet you, Mike. Daisy told me all about you. This is my father, William." He indicated the middle-aged man on the veranda.

William stepped down and took Daisy's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you Mrs Cooper, and you Mike. I'm real happy you accepted Evie's invitation. Frank, why don't you take Mrs Cooper inside to see Evie, and Mike can meet Ben. I reckon you won't mind Mrs Cooper but I haven't seen young Jess in a good many years, and there's somethin' I need to say to him before the day gets any older."

Daisy smiled up at both men. "I quite understand and Mike is so looking forward to meeting Ben." She took Frank's proffered arm and allowed herself to be led inside the house, although she would have dearly liked to witness the reunion between Jess and William Emerson.

Slim and Jess had watched from horseback while Frank had greeted Daisy and Mike and introduced them to William, but now they rode their mounts up to the hitching rail and dismounted. William waited while they secured their horse's reins to the rail and then he stepped forward with a wide smile of greeting.

"Thank you for comin' today, both of you. It's good to meet you Mr Sherman and I'm real happy to welcome you to our new home, though I'm afraid it's not as comfortable yet as we hope to make it." He shook Slim's hand in a firm grasp and then he turned to Jess.

"You can have no idea how good it is to see you again Jess. I never thought I'd have this chance to put things right between us. I'm not a man who finds it easy to apologise but at the very least I owe that to you. I know how you looked out for my two youngest, particularly Evie and I know now what a good friend you were to Ben. I used to measure the worth of a man by what he owned. Life has taught me since that there are other, far better ways to measure that, and wealth or poverty have very little to do with it. I totally misjudged you and your family Jess. For that I apologise and I hope that you can find it in you to forgive me because I'd sure like to know you better." He held out his hand to Jess.

Expecting some sort of reproof, Jess was stunned into silence by William's apology. He studied the older man's face for a few minutes and then he took the hand William held out to him and grasped it strongly in both of his. "We've all made mistakes in our lives and I reckon it takes a good man to admit to it. I'll be real pleased to start over."

William nodded in satisfaction as Jess released his hand. "Thank you Jess. You've got a good heart son. Now, come inside the both of you and say hello to Evie and Ben. Frank'll look after your horses."

As they stepped onto the veranda, Frank emerged from the house and after extending a warm greeting to Slim he reached out his hand to Jess. "I couldn't hardly believe you were our new neighbour but I can see now that we have the right Jess Harper. I wasn't there when you came back after the war but I'd recognise you anywhere. You're a mite taller and you've put on a good few pounds since you stood up for me and Evie against Billy and Pete and that darn friend of theirs but apart from growin' up some you haven't changed. It's real good to see you my friend… Evie's inside waitin' for you."

For the second time in the space of a few minutes Jess found himself at a loss for words. As the Frank spoke to him, Jess stared at the younger man as if at a ghost. "I'm sorry Frank…" Jess mentally shook himself "but you kinda took me by surprise. You remind me so much of Ben." His voice caught on the words but recovering himself, he wrung Frank's hand warmly. "It's real good to see you too Frank."

William didn't miss Jess's reaction to his son. He'd found Frank's strong likeness to Ben a constant reminder of his loss when Jess had first broken the news to him but over the years he'd become accustomed it. Now, the likeness between the two boys had become a comfort to it. He indicated to the two men that they should precede him into the ranch house. Slim and Jess stepped into a large and comfortable room. They'd been here many times before Jed Hackett had succumbed to his final illness but it looked very different now. The walls had been given a fresh coat of paint, there were good quality draperies of gold damask pulled back from the large windows with ties, and the interior of the room was shaded from the bright sun by blinds of white lace.

Daisy was sitting on a brown leather sofa talking to a small, fair-haired and delicate-looking young woman who looked up as they entered, her greyish-blue eyes going straight to Jess. She stood and approached the men, exchanging greetings with Slim first before turning to her childhood hero.

Jess took in the sight of her not knowing quite what to do or say. "Evie…" he said in a voice huskier than usual. "The last time I saw you, you couldn't have been more'n 14 years old. I…"

Evie effectively silenced Jess's faltering greeting by impulsively throwing her arms around him. Jess blushed crimson, his hands hovering for a moment as if he didn't know what to do with them but then he caught sight of William looking on with an amused expression and he returned Evie's hug, feeling a little less self-conscious.

"And I always thought you were so shy, Evie. Didn't anyone ever tell ya not to go grabbin' hold of strange men?" Jess released her from his arms and smiled down at her.

"Well… mostly, I don't greet my guests that way." Evie smiled appreciatively at sight of her childhood hero in his Sunday-best clothes. "It's just so good to see you again after all these years, but I'm not the only shy one around here. You know… in all the years you looked out for me and Frank I swear you were as shy as I was. You never spoke but two words to me in all that time."

Slim looked on in amusement. "Now why doesn't that surprise me?" Jess was anything but shy with the saloon girls but faced with what he called a decent woman… well, that was another thing altogether.

Evie laughed as Jess blushed again. "Oh, I'm sorry Jess. Now we've made you feel uncomfortable. Why don't y'all sit down and I'll get some coffee ready." She disappeared in the direction of what they knew to be the kitchen.

Jess fidgeted with the neat ribbon tie he was wearing. "I oughta go see if Frank needs a hand with the horses."

"As you like Jess but don't let Evie embarrass you." William gave Jess's shoulder a light squeeze. "She's never forgotten how you looked out for her and she's been lookin' forward to seein' you again." Like Evie, William had also taken note of Jess's smart appearance and had to tell himself that this was indeed the same young man he'd known all those years ago. How could he have been so shallow as to have judged this pleasant young man merely on the fact that his clothes were not new?

"Where's Mike got to?" Slim asked Daisy, interrupting William's thoughts.

"Oh, he's over at the barn with Ben. Why don't you both go out and meet Ben and I'll give Evie a hand with the coffee." Daisy joined Evie in the kitchen leaving Slim and Jess with William.

"I think that's a good idea. Let's go and find my grandson." William led the way to the door at the rear of the house. "Did you know the previous owners?"

Slim and Jess followed on behind as William stepped out into the large yard and started over toward the barn. "We knew Jed Hackett and his wife well, sir." Slim told him. "They were good neighbours and we spent a lot of time here after Jed's wife died and he got sick."

William paused. "Please… both of you… there's no need to be so formal. William will do just fine. I reckon you probably know this place better'n I do. Do either of you have any particular interest in horses?"

Jess's interest was instantly piqued. "We both do… I've been breakin' wild horses for a good few years now and we sell 'em on to the army and other buyers but we're just now startin' to breed from a white mare we bought a while back (See Patty Wilkinson's stories _Daisy's Dilemma_ , _Snowbird Saves The Day_ and _Snowbird's Last Race_ ). I seem to remember you havin' a pair of Percherons. Do you still have 'em?"

"Not the original pair Jess" William replied "but I've got two young mares I use to pull my plow and I've recently gotten hold of a stallion. Come and meet Ben and then I'll introduce you both to my horses. They're a little larger than the quarter horses I expect you're used to."

"We do use quarter horses and Morgans around the ranch" Slim told him. "and they can't compare to the size of a draft horse. But I don't reckon your Percherons would be much use to the stage line though."

Skirting the buckboard, which stood outside the barn, William laughed. "Certainly not… they're way too big. They wouldn't fit in the traces and they have neither the speed nor the stamina of a Morgan. But I think you'll like them… in fact, I can guarantee it." He led them into the dim coolness of the large barn where Mike and Ben were helping Frank brush down the horses. "This young man is my grandson, Ben." A youngster of about the same age as Mike had been when they first took him in, looked them over curiously. "Ben, come and say hello to Mr Sherman and Mr Harper."

Jess drew in a sharp breath. The boy had Evie's delicate bone structure and greyish-blue eyes but the dark red curly hair, the freckles, and the snub nose were unexpected and Jess's mind flashed back to the conversation with Daisy on her return from town. The sudden realisation of who Ben's father must be was unwelcome to Jess, but not entirely unexpected.

After a brief hesitation, Jess recovered himself. "Well… howdy Tiger… I can see you're takin' real good care of our horses. I'm much obliged to you." Jess hoped he hadn't upset Mike by the use of the special nickname on Ben but he had no need to worry. Everyone else but William was unaware of Jess's discomfort on seeing the boy. Mike assumed it was Jess's way of putting Ben at his ease and he carried on grooming traveller. He liked his new friend and thought it would be a bit like having a younger brother to look after.

Both boys had been standing on hay bales, enabling them to reach the horses. Ben jumped down and held out his hand solemnly, shaking hands with both men. "I'm real pleased to meet you."

Amused by the formal greeting from such a small child Slim exchanged a smile with Jess and ruffled the boy's dark red hair. "Likewise, Ben. I'm Slim and that's my horse Alamo you've been brushin' down. The horse Mike's workin' on is Traveller; he's Jess's horse."

Frank paused in his work on the buckboard team. "Mike introduced us. They're fine horses and it seems like they're real good friends."

"They sure are." Mike told him. "Alamo always has the stall next to Trav and they miss each other when they're apart for too long."

Ben had been taking in Jess's low-slung holster. He turned a freckled face up to him. "Are you a gunfighter Mr Harper?"

"Now Ben…" William looked a little embarrassed. "that's not a question you should be askin' Mr. Harper."

"Why not, Granpa?"

"Well… It…" Uncertain of Jess's reaction to his grandson's question, William tried to find the words to explain.

"It's OK William." Laughing, Jess squatted down beside Ben. "You've got sharp eyes. What made you ask me that?"

Ben pointed to Jess's holster. "Danny said only a gunfighter wears his holster real low like that."

"Jess isn't a gunfighter anymore Ben." Mike piped up from his hay bale. "Who's Danny?"

"He's a Texas Ranger and he knows all about gunfighters. He's my friend." Ben said proudly.

Jess considered his reply carefully. "A Texas Ranger is a real good friend to have Ben. I was a drifter for a while and bein' fast with a gun came in handy then. That was a long time ago now. Bein' a drifter ain't a good life for a man but I was real lucky and I met up with ole Slim here, so now I'm a rancher. I guess wearin' my gun belt like this is somethin' of a habit. Now, I'll tell ya somethin' Ben. Firstly, you gotta call me Jess and Mr Sherman here…" Jess indicated Slim with a nod of his head. "just call him Slim, same as Mike does. Second, it's OK to ask _me_ if I'm a gunfighter but it'd be better not to ask anyone else the same question. Most gunfighters are real ornery and they don't take too kindly to people askin' questions about 'em."

"And I suppose you aren't ever ornery Jess?" Slim asked innocently, ducking as Jess rose abruptly from his crouch and took a mock swipe at his partner.

Ben looked curiously from Slim to Jess but he nodded solemnly. "Sure thing, Jess. I understand." Climbing back onto his hay bale he returned to his task of brushing down Alamo.

Jess looked around the spacious and well laid-out barn. He'd seen it many times before when it belonged to Jed Hackett but catching sight of a partially-covered piece of equipment in the corner which he'd never seen before, he looked enquiringly at William.

"That's my new plow, Jess." William said proudly. "It'll clear this neglected land a darn sight quicker than the one I used in Texas. I ordered it from a catalogue some months back and it arrived just a few days ago." He walked over and pulled back the cover exposing a large solid plow with two good-sized steel shares and a seat positioned toward the rear.

Slim looked the solid piece of equipment over with interest. "I've only ever seen these in catalogues. When my father was alive we used to have a couple of fields set aside for hay. We used a horse-drawn plow but it was nothin' like this. These days we just buy in the hay. It isn't worth our effort to try and produce enough for the amount of stock we have now and run the relay station at the same time."

"I doubt you could spare the time. Not without more hands." William stroked his hand fondly over the new plow. "This is a two-horse sulky. I can plow two rows at a time with it _and_ I can sit down and guide the horses while they do all the work. My Percherons are ideal for this sort of work. I could've done with this in Texas but I didn't have enough land to justify it. Now I have. Maybe we can come to some arrangement about me growin' enough hay for all of us, in return for a little assistance."

Slim considered the proposal. "The stage company has a contract for hay with the livery in town but there might be room for some sort of compromise. I think you ought to know how much hay we get through before you commit yourself. We don't have a lot of time to spare, what with runnin' the relay and the ranch but I'm sure we could work somethin' out. Course, we don't have any experience with handlin' plow horses," Slim threw a glance at Jess "but we do have plenty of practice at puttin' up fences." He laughed at his partner's woeful expression. "Maybe…"

"Hey Slim…" Jess spoke at the same time as his partner and hesitated, waiting for him to finish but Slim indicated for Jess to continue. "I was just thinkin' on what we talked about on the way over. Maybe if William could cut down the weed growth in the pasture and plow it in before it runs to seed, we could put some of those extra cattle we talked about to graze on the open ground in early spring. It'd help to keep the weed growth down and stop it takin' over again."

"Just what I was about to say, Jess." Slim turned to William. "We couldn't help noticin' the toxic weeds and grasses as we rode across your pasture. We intend to start increasin' our stock and it'd serve both your purpose and ours if the early growth is grazed off before it becomes harmful. The cattle trample down any further growth too."

William looked genuinely interested by the proposition. "For the first couple of seasons until we get the weed growth under control it would be an ideal arrangement. After that it might be counter-productive. We'd need to have the ground plowed in the fall so it'll settle ready for planting when the spring weather allows. I know you two must be a little worried about that cheat grass but I can assure you that we'll be startin' to plow that in next week."

Turning back to the plow, Jess noted the quality of the steel as he examined it. "Somethin' like this would've sure lightened my Pa's load. He used a horse-drawn plow but it was real old, like his horse, and the steel had lost it's edge. It took a heck of a lot of effort to keep the plow share in the soil too just walkin' behind the horse. I'd like to see this in action one of these days."

"I'll be glad to demonstrate it for you." William said enthusiastically. "You know… a farmer walkin' behind a standard plow like your Pa had could manage maybe two acres a day but it'd have to be good ground and like you said Jess, it was back-breakin' work. A plow like this, pulled by two horses can turn over up to seven acres a day."

William turned guiltily as Evie called to them from the house. "We'd better get back for coffee or it'll be gettin' cold and that won't please my Evie."

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From a ridge above the Emerson's ranch house the arrival of the visitors from the Sherman ranch and relay station had been monitored by three men. They had searched out a vantage point on the previous day and arrived early that morning, settling in to wait unseen by the residents.

Billy pointed down at one of the men on horseback. "There… Ya see? That's Jess Harper ain't it? I'd know him anywhere. He don't look that much different. Just growed up and a little less scrawny is all."

Zeke studied the scene below him for a few minutes. "Yeah… Reckon you're right. That must be Sherman he's with and the housekeeper you said looks after the kid. So… Jess got himself invited to Sunday dinner by William Emerson. I cain't hardly credit it." He gave a low snigger.

Billy paused in the task of picking his teeth. "Yeah, I wonder how that is…? I always thought ole man Emerson was about as fond of Harper as he would've been of a mangy cur."

Zeke tugged a pair of binoculars from his saddle bag and took a closer look as Jess and William greeted each other. "Maybe he figured Jess weren't too bad after all. Compared to me that is." He sniggered again at the thought. "It's Jess all right. He may've been in ole man Emerson's bad books back then but he sure as hell ain't no more… Seems like Jess is in favour now; Emerson's grinnin' fit to bust. It's a wonder he don't throw his arms around him. I guess he'll leave that to Evie."

Pete looked about as bored as a man could get. "Why are we wastin' our time sittin' up here? I thought you wasn't interested in Evie or the kid? When's that payroll money due?"

"I'm just curious I guess. We got a while yet before that payroll comes through. Steve and Charlie oughta be here sometime next week and they'll have all the details for us by then. We gotta do some checkin' around. Accordin' to the map Charlie drew that old abandoned place oughta be somewhere between here and the Sherman ranch and that old trail oughta be just behind it. Ya know… we could get real bored bein' around a hick town like Laramie with nothin' to do, but with Evie bein' here and Jess too…? It couldn't get any better. We can have ourselves a bit of fun while we're here."

Billy leaned forward in his saddle toward Zeke. "I heard there's some kinda shootin' match in Laramie in a coupla weeks. There's a dance too. Some ole boy in the saloon was sayin' as how Sherman asked him to look after the team changes at the relay station while him and Harper was in town."

Zeke looked up sharply at that. "Did he now…? That means they'll be at the shootin' match. I reckon most of Laramie'll be there too. I got time to spread a few rumours. Got a week for 'em to get around and then I think we'll join the good folk of Laramie at the dance. By the looks of the happy reunion down there I reckon Jess and his friend Sherman might just have 'emselves some company. It'd be a good time to ask Evie why she done me wrong and took my boy away with her… and I can do it with the whole town as witnesses." Zeke grinned mirthlessly. There was nothing he enjoyed more than stirring up trouble and to stir up this sort of trouble for Evie and Jess was a gift from the gods. "The good folk of Laramie, and if I play it right, the Sheriff are all gonna be thinkin' I'm here to get Evie and my kid and ain't nobody gonna think we're here for any other reason." Zeke tucked the binoculars back in his saddle bag. "Let's head off and find that cabin Charlie was talkin' about."

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The Emersons' four visitors were treated to an ample and well-cooked Sunday dinner. It was an enjoyable and totally informal meal and the ranch house was filled with good-natured reminiscences and laughter.

William and Frank discussed their plans for the property with the two ranchers and Daisy took the opportunity to tell Evie about the Women's Group. Evie was impatient to get to know the people of Laramie and especially the other women. She hoped to find more acceptance within this community than she'd found in Texas and her chance meeting with Daisy had been a big step in the right direction.

"I am so lookin' forward to the next meetin' Daisy. How often do you get together?"

"Usually once a fortnight or sometimes every week when we have an event coming up. We always set the date for the next meeting before we close. That reminds me…" Daisy leaned a little closer to Evie so she could be heard over the men's discussion on the best way to deal with the incursion of toxic weeds on neglected land and Mike's description to Ben of his menagerie.

"I forgot to mention it earlier but it's the end of the summer term for the school in Laramie in two weeks and the town is holding a shooting contest on the Saturday. Well… It's more than just a shooting contest. There will be games for the children and contests for the best jam, cakes and bread and the Women's Group will have goods for sale too; pies, cakes, bread, needlework. You know the sort of thing… purses, bags, table cloths, cushions… oh, all manner of things. All the proceeds will go toward books and various items for the schoolhouse in Laramie. Will you come, Evie? I can introduce you to the members of the Women's Group and there's a dance in the evening too."

Evie's face lit up with enthusiasm. "Daisy! What a wonderful way for us to get to know people. I can't wait!" As the discussion between the menfolk came to an end, Evie turned to her brother and father. "Daisy just told me there's a shootin' contest bein' held in town on Saturday week and a dance in the evenin'. We just have to go…"

Mike swallowed the last mouthful of his apple pie, and turned enthusiastically to his new friend. "It'll be a whole lotta fun Ben! You can meet all my friends too. Miss McNeal said we're gonna have games and races and there's even a junior ropin' contest. Jess's been teachin' me to rope and I'm gettin' real good, aren't I Jess?"

Jess laughed "You sure are Tiger. But you still need a little work on the wrist action. Perhaps I'd better start givin' Ben a few lessons and maybe he can join in the contest too. Would you like that Ben?"

"Would ya really teach me Jess?" Ben looked anxiously at William. "Can we go Granpa? It sure sounds like a lot of fun."

Seeing the eager expression on his grandson's face, William laughed. "Why, of course we'll go Ben. I wouldn't miss it for the world." William turned to Jess and Slim. "I think I've heard somethin' about that shootin' match. Isn't it held every year?"

"Oh… that'd be the Laramie Annual Sunday Shootin' Match." Slim told him. "That attracts a lot of folk from out of county. The little contest Daisy's talkin' about is just to raise funds for the schoolhouse. It'll only be a couple of dollars to enter and there's a small prize for the winner. There's a hefty entry fee for the Annual Sunday Shootin' Match and a prize of $1,000 for the winner of that."

"Oh boy!" Ben's eyes were wide with amazement. To a seven-year old boy it was an unimaginable sum. "That sure is a lot of money. Have you or Slim ever won that Jess?" Ben asked.

Slim threw an amused look at his partner. "Jess won it once and he might've won it for a second time a couple of years back but for one thing. Why don't you tell Ben why Hoby Carson won the shootin' match instead of you, Jess?"

"That wasn't Jess's fault!" Mike exclaimed in defence of his hero. "He had a bad shoulder!"

Jess looked a little sheepish and Slim grinned at his partner's discomfort. "Oh, sure Mike, he had a bad shoulder all right but he also had a touch of… er… what did you call it Jess? Cideritis wasn't it?"

Giving a resigned sigh, Jess grinned. "Yeah… That was it. But it still weren't my fault Slim. If Mort hadn't tricked me into settlin' that argument about whose cider was the best, I wouldn't a had too much of it."

"You didn't _have_ to take more than one sip of each to tell which one was best though."

"It weren't that easy to tell on just one sip" Jess argued "and they was both expectin' to be told theirs was the best so I just had to keep takin' another sip to help me decide and it was pretty strong stuff, ya know?"

A laugh went round the entire table and Jess changed the subject of conversation back to the forthcoming shooting contest. "We usually have somethin' for the kids when the school year ends and we have a dance once a month. But this year's kinda special. It's an anniversary for the school and like Mike said, there'll be games for the kids and there's the shootin' contest of course and a ropin' contest for the men and one for the kids too. The dance starts in the early evenin' and it's pretty much over by 11 o'clock. We reckon a late night once in a while don't hurt Mike none. Ain't that so Slim?"

Putting down his fork Slim shrugged. "If Mike behaves and remembers all his homework next week, he gets to go with us." Mike started to protest but subsided as Slim fixed him with a stern look. "We generally get old Ben Stokes to look after the relay for us and he feeds and waters the stock the next morning so we can stay overnight in town. The hotel's reasonable and there's always the boardin' house although that's likely to be pretty much full over that weekend."

As Evie began to gather up the used dishes, Daisy turned to Slim. "Why don't we discuss it with Frank and Evie while we clear up? I'm sure William and Jess could do with a little time alone to talk. And maybe Ben could show Mike that collection of wooden animals he was telling us about?"

"Oh, sure Mrs Cooper. Come on Mike… you'll love 'em. Danny made 'em for me and there're two just like his dogs." Ben rushed off, eager to show Mike his room and favourite treasures.

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William was grateful for the opportunity to talk with Jess on his own and he led him out onto the veranda. "This'll be a lovely spot when we have Evie's garden planted. She wants to have some flowers and fruit trees close to the house, as well as vegetables. I hope to get the beds organised in the next few weeks and hopefully have it planted come fall. Jed Hackett couldn't have chosen a better site on which to build his ranch house."

Jess looked out at the trees and hills beyond the partially-cleared yard. It was indeed a good spot. He'd often sat and admired the view with the old rancher before he died and felt a twinge of sadness as he remembered the old man. "One of us used to get Jed settled in his chair out here and he'd sit and dream the day away. He liked nothin' better. They were a real nice old couple. Jed was never the same after his wife passed. They wanted a family real bad, but it just never happened for 'em. Slim told me they had a baby once, a boy it was. They were overjoyed but it died soon after bein' born."

"That's very sad." William looked briefly over his shoulder at the ranch house. "This house was built for a large family. They must've loved it despite never havin' the children they wanted. It has a happy feel about it. We were lucky to be blessed with our three children. They're a great solace when you lose your partner in life. I would've been lost without mine. It was a terrible sorrow to lose our oldest boy but I still had Frank and Evie when Alice died and I couldn't ask for better." A brief silence ensued between the two men before William spoke again. "Jess… I couldn't help but notice the look on your face when you met young Ben this morning. You saw his father in him, didn't you?"

Jess looked a little uncomfortable. He wasn't so sure of his newly-established friendship with William that he felt able to discuss his thoughts with him. "He reminded me of one of the boys I knew in Texas when I was growin' up but I ain't thought about who Ben's father might be or where he is. I figure it ain't no one's business but Evie's."

"You're real tactful Jess and I appreciate that." William regarded the younger man thoughtfully. "You know… Evie always thought of you as her protector when she was small. She trusted you totally and I can see why. Back then, Evie told me how frightened she was of one particular boy and how you'd come to her rescue. She was too young and innocent to know just why he scared her so much. He was the son of a man I thought of as my friend and I'm ashamed to say I never took a lot of notice of what Evie told me. She was a timid child so I thought no more of it and just let Frank and Ben deal with it. When you came home to tell us about Ben's death, Evie was just 14 years old. If Ben had been around then, things might have turned out differently. Frank did his best but he couldn't be around all the time." William's expression hardened and he changed the subject. "I guess it was hard for you after the war Jess… havin' to tell us about Ben. Especially comin' back to that place after what happened to your folks. That was a terrible thing. We were pretty much blinded by prejudice in those days and we did nothin' to help you or your sister. I remember Ben bein' real mad at us about that."

Jess sat down in the wide wooden swing chair that William indicated. "There ain't no reason for you to apologise. Me and Francie weren't your responsibility. We had an uncle livin' at Fort Worth. My Ma's brother; he took us in. I didn't stay with him long though. He never thought much of my Pa and he wasn't any fonder of me than you were in those days… less in fact. I left there before I was 16. I sure missed Ben when we went to Fort Worth. It was pure chance that brought us together in the war."

The older man leaned against the sturdy rail of the veranda. "I'd be grateful to hear that story one of these days Jess if you've a mind to tell it. I'm sorry to hear you didn't get on with your uncle." He studied Jess for a moment before going back to their previous conversation. "You do know which boy I was talkin' about, don't you?"

Jess lowered his head, reluctant to pursue the subject but after a brief hesitation, he looked up at William from under his long dark lashes. "I reckon you were talkin' about Zeke Patterson. As I recall, he had an unhealthy interest in little girls in general but he had a real fascination for Evie. It was one of the reasons I looked out for her. I wouldn't've wanted him lookin' at one of my sisters like that."

William nodded grimly in confirmation. "He started pesterin' Evie when she was 14. Just didn't seem able to let her alone. Jack Patterson had no idea what his son got up to. I don't think he wanted to know. When I tackled him about it, all he could say was that Zeke was a little sweet on Evie and he thought they'd make a match of it one day. Well, Evie made it clear to me that she didn't want to make a match of it with Zeke and I told his father so. Jack just said to give it time but he'd have a word with Zeke not to press her too hard. He couldn't imagine any girl not wantin' his son for a husband."

William took a few paces along the veranda and then turned suddenly toward Jess. "Heck, Jess… she was just 15. She wasn't anywhere near ready for marriage or motherhood. It's for Evie to tell you about what happened if she wants to, though I reckon you can guess most of it. It's the reason we left Texas. Evie may have been shy when she was a kid but she's grown into a determined young woman and she's got a real proud, stubborn streak. She wanted nothin' to do with that boy. She don't like lyin' about Ben's father either. I can't deny it's caused problems for us but if that's the way Evie wants it, it's good enough for me." He didn't seem to require a response and both men stared out over the yard of the ranch house comfortable in each other's company. "How about we see if the clearin' up's done and then I'll introduce you all to my Percherons?"

Jess was more than happy to let the subject of Zeke Patterson and Evie drop.

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Mike and Ben shot out onto the veranda and charged across to the barn which served as a stable. They were followed more sedately by Daisy and Evie and the four men. The stable seemed dark after the bright sunshine in the yard but the two mares caught Jess's eye as soon as he entered. The two big grey draft horses seemed to glow in the dim interior and he was captivated by the sight of them.

"So, Jess… What do you reckon to these ladies?"

"I think he's speechless" Slim said as he joined them. "They're impressive animals."

Jess shook himself from his contemplation of the two mares and leaning up against the stall he began to stroke the necks and flanks of the magnificent horses.

"They're real beauties." Jess spoke quietly to the two horses as he rubbed their soft velvety muzzles. One of them bent her large head down to nuzzle him in the chest. The other not to be outdone pushed her head against his shoulder and blew softly through her nostrils. "They sure are somethin' William. What d'ya call 'em?"

William patted the strong flanks of the horse on the right. "Looks like you've made a conquest already Jess. This one is Betsy. The other is…" William looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry… but the other we named Daisy…"

"It's a very good name…" Daisy had no fear of horses but she admired these from a safe distance "…and there's no need to be at all sorry. If I had to have an animal named after me I can think of no better creature than that lovely horse."

Mike gazed admiringly at the horses. "Gee… I'd sure like to ride one of 'em." He looked hopefully up at William who laughed at his eager expression.

"Well Mike, we don't have a saddle large enough but you could ride one of 'em bareback. They're pretty even tempered most of the time."

A low throaty snort and the sound of large hooves stamping the floor came from the far end of the barn and William indicated a stall in the opposite corner. "Sounds like someone's a little jealous of all the attention the mares are gettin'. If you think my girls are large, come and see Shadow."

Jess gave a final pat to Daisy's neck and followed William over to what had appeared to be an empty stall. He gave an admiring whistle. "That is one heck of a piece of horseflesh you got there William." He leaned against the stall taking in the massive horse standing restlessly against the shadowy rear wall.

The stallion tossed his head and whinnied softly, the superb silver-grey mane rippling with the movement. The mares were a smooth light grey with darker manes but the stallion was a dapple grey and his mane was a light silver. Jess couldn't drag his eyes away from him.

"He came from a good line," Frank said. "and he oughta sire some good foals."

Looking a little nervous at being so close to such a large horse, Daisy hung back but Evie leaned against the stall beside Jess as he admired the stallion. "I have to stand on a box to brush him." She remarked.

Jess gave her an amused look. "I'll just bet you do. He looks to be around 19 hands."

Smiling, Evie turned to look at Jess. "You aren't far out Jess. He's 18.5 hands. Ben named him Shadow. You could almost miss him in the dim light if it wasn't for that mane."

"How will you manage when the mares are carryin' William?" Slim asked.

"Oh, they can do a certain amount of work as long as they aren't asked to pull too heavy a load. We bought the stallion because Frank and Evie want to start a breedin' program. I'm lookin' out for a couple of geldin's to pull the plow and these girls can have an easy life, although they need some work to keep 'em fit." William turned to Mike. "Well young man, if you have a desire to ride one of these, how about Frank brings out Betsy for you. Better bring Daisy and Shadow out too and give 'em a little exercise. Shadow's as even-tempered as the mares are, at least he will be until they're in heat."

Frank put halters on the mares and let them out into the sunlight followed closely by Slim and the two boys. Evie and Jess stayed in the barn with Shadow, giving Jess a chance to take a closer look at the big horse. William turned to Daisy. "Would you like to go back to the house Daisy? I'll show you around, although I expect you've been here before to visit Mr and Mrs Hackett?"

Daisy pushed back the wayward strand of hair. "Well, I helped to nurse Jed Hackett when he was sick but I never knew his wife. She died before I came to the Sherman ranch. I've seen a small part of the house but not all of it and I would love to see what you've done with it so far."

"Come then Daisy." William took Daisy's arm and led her back toward the house. "Jess is a fine young man. It's good to see him settled with people who care for him. He deserves that and he had little enough of it after his folks were killed."

"Jess and Slim are both fine young men. I suppose I have a tendency to treat them like sons. Mike is a little more like a grandson I suppose. Slim told me that when Jess first came to Laramie he'd been drifting for so long it was hard for him to settle in one place. He was very restless at first and even left once or twice but he was always drawn back. Now the ranch is home to him and Slim, Mike and Andy are his family. Andy is Slim's younger brother. He and Jess became very attached to each other and from what Slim tells me it was partly his fondness for Andy that drew Jess back in those early days. Andy was fourteen then and restless for new experiences and places. I've often wondered if maybe he reminded Jess of himself at that age. Those three boys are just like brothers."

"Andy is not with you today. Is he still living at the ranch?" William asked as he opened the door of the ranch house for Daisy to enter.

"Oh no… Andy is away at college. He comes home occasionally. He has no real interest in ranching and plans to become a doctor. He'll be going to university in a year or so to study medicine. Slim is very proud of him and Jess is too. I think Andy will make a very good doctor."

Leading Daisy through the great room of the ranch house, William took her into his study and invited her to sit down on the red leather sofa by the window. "You can see Mike and Ben ridin' the mares from here."

Peering through the window, Daisy laughed as she saw the fun that Mike was having. "They look so very small perched on top of those huge horses."

"Mike is very confident for such a small boy. He seems to have no fear of horses."

Daisy smiled. "He admires the way Jess handles horses and he's learned a lot from him. Jess loves horses. I never saw one yet that didn't take to him and he has quite a reputation around here for his skill with them. He prefers to let an unbroken horse get to know him and to trust him before he works with it. He talks to them and I could swear they understand every word he says."

"It sounds as if Jess could be what they call a horse whisperer." William turned away from the window and perched himself on the arm of the sofa. "They do say that you can judge a man by the way he treats his horse. I don't know if that's true or not. Judging a man is a tricky business. I suppose Jess told you all about growin' up in Texas. I sadly misjudged him and his family when he was a boy." Pausing for a moment William looked down at Daisy. "I'm truly ashamed to admit that I actually hated Jess when he told me of Ben's death after the war. At that moment, I really hated him and I wished it'd been Jess who'd died. For a long time, I blamed him for Ben's death. No matter what Frank and Evie told me about what a good friend he'd been to them I believed Jess left Ben to die. Jess never told me that he'd been seriously injured in that battle. I found out what really happened quite by accident. That boy very nearly lost his own life but he never said a word to me about it."

Daisy laid a hand on William's arm. "No, he wouldn't have. Jess rarely talks about the war or about his childhood. I know very little of his life before he met Slim. But I do know Jess and I am very sure that he holds nothing against you for a misconception you had so long ago. As for hating him when you learned of Ben's death… well… the death of a child, especially through something as futile as war is a terrible thing and it's hard to think rationally. I lost a son in the war; my only son, David. I believe I can understand something of how you and your poor wife must have felt."

Grateful for her sympathetic words, William patted Daisy's hand. "Thank you for your understandin' Daisy. After I lost Alice, I ran into a young man who'd been in the same unit as Jess and Ben and who'd survived that battle. He told me what happened and how Ben died. Has Jess ever spoken to you about Ben, Daisy?"

Daisy shook her head. "Not to me William nor even to Slim until hearing your name the other day for the first time in years. Knowing that you'd bought this place stirred some painful memories for him and he talked it out with Slim. I overheard some of what he said, but Jess doesn't know that so please keep that to yourself. He was devastated by Ben's death and he's been haunted by the memory of it. It was a traumatic experience followed by a bad time in a prison hospital, and then as a prisoner of war. Jess is a good man William and he has a good heart. He's earned the friendship and respect of most of the folk in Laramie, including our Sheriff, Mort Cory."

Nodding to himself, William stood and helped Daisy to her feet. "Yes, I can see why he would've done. I missed gettin' to know that young man all those years ago and all because of bigotry and pride but I hope we can leave all that in the past. Now… how about I show you around before they all come back."

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While Jess took his leave of William, Slim climbed up into the buckboard to sit next to Daisy. He took hold of the reins and leaned down towards Evie. "Why don't you bring Ben over to our place one afternoon and you can both ride into town with Daisy in the buckboard. Maybe Ben can meet some of Mike's school friends and the boys can ride back home with you and Daisy instead of ridin' on the stage. You wouldn't mind showin' Ben around after school, would you Mike?"

"Heck no Slim. It'd be just great…" Mike leaned over the edge of the buckboard to where Ben was standing next to Evie. "Are you comin' into school before the end of term to meet Miss McNeal? I did, when I first came to live with Slim and Jess."

Evie smiled at Mike's eager expression. "Mike is right Slim… Ben will be visitin' school for a whole day next week so he'll meet all Mike's friends then and I think he'd enjoy ridin' back on the stage with Mike. It'll be somethin' of an adventure for him. I wonder… Could I bring him over to your place early that day? You'd like to ride into school with Mike on the stage, wouldn't you Ben?"

Ben nodded his head vigorously and Slim laughed. "Bring him along Evie. You can have breakfast at the ranch and we'll find room for him on the stage. You'll have to be here real early though."

"That's no problem. We're all up early to feed and water the livestock."

After tying Alamo's reins at the rear of the buckboard Jess walked over to where William stood with Frank. "I'm real glad to have met you again sir. I'll look forward to seein' you at the shootin' match and I hope you and Frank'll be takin' part in that. I have to go into town for supplies tomorrow so if you want I can book some rooms at the hotel for you?"

William took Jess's hand firmly in his. "That's much appreciated, Jess. I'd be pleased for you to do that but there's one thing that'd please me more than anythin' else and that is if you'd please remember to drop the 'sir' and call me William."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7 – A Spark in the Kindling

A few days after Jess's visit to the Emersons, Billy and his younger brother Pete were sitting at a table at the far corner of The Stockman's Palace saloon nursing a couple of half empty whisky glasses while Zeke propped up the bar. He was talking loudly to a couple of men he'd gotten to know in a poker game and his voice drifted over to them as he warmed to his subject.

"…left without a word. Yeah, Evie Emerson… that's right. Well, anyways… I come lookin' for her and what do I find. She's hangin' out with some worthless sod buster's son she had a hankerin' for when we was kids. Well I ain't fixin' to let anyone take my boy Ben away from me, 'specially not an ex-gunslinger with nothin' but a partnership in a paltry, run-down, no-hope excuse for a ranch. Take away that stage franchise and he ain't got nothin'. Harper's Pa was a no-good, drunken share-cropper with nothin' to his name. Now _my_ Pa's got a real nice spread in Texas and when he's dead and gone it's all mine. I tell ya… Evie led me on so's a man just couldn't stand no more and then when I offered to marry her she refused me; she won't even let me see my son… so, I ask ya… what is it she wants from me?"

The local blacksmith, a giant of a man called Hal was enjoying a lunchtime beer with a couple of friends. He'd met the Emersons when they'd consulted him about shoeing their draft horses and he thought they seemed to be a nice family. He also counted himself as one of Jess's close friends and wasn't too impressed with Zeke or his loud conversation. Putting his drink decisively down on the bar he turned around and leaning close to the shorter man he spoke loud enough for the whole company to hear. "From what you just said friend, I reckon the answer's real obvious…" A little unnerved by the unsolicited comment from behind him, Zeke half-turned and Hal continued. "If you had to come all this way lookin' for her, I'd say she don't want _nothin'_ you got to offer."

The majority of the men in the saloon laughed at Hal's comment but one or two muttered about Jess's past and how they never did think he was to be trusted. Zeke's two new acquaintances hadn't been comfortable with the subject of his conversation and sensing there could be an argument about to start they took the opportunity to sidle away to one of the tables taking their drinks with them.

This wasn't going quite the way Zeke had expected but either way he was getting the attention he'd hoped for and he decided it would serve his purpose. It hadn't been part of his plan to make friends, only trouble. He turned fully around to face Hal. "I ain't your friend mister and I don't remember askin' for your opinion but I still say it ain't right to keep me away from my boy. A Pa's gotta right to see his son."

Hal shrugged. "You were askin' what it was she wanted from you and seein' as how you were talkin' loud enough for the whole of Laramie to hear there weren't no way of knowin' it was a private conversation." The big blacksmith turned back to his friends and his glass of beer. "Now, as to a Pa's rights…" Hal spoke to his friends and the company in general. "…that would depend upon what sort of man the Pa is, don't ya think?" He turned to face Zeke again. "Seems to me, the boy's Ma got a right to bring him up as she sees fit and just maybe his Ma wasn't quite as willin' as you're makin' out." Hal towered over Zeke and fixed him with a less than friendly glare. "I reckon I oughta let you know that Jess Harper is well-liked and respected in this town. So maybe you just oughta go back to Texas and help your Pa run his real nice spread." Hal downed the rest of his beer and took his leave followed by his friends.

Zeke was left standing alone and furious at the bar as the laughter at Hal's comments rippled around the tables. Billy got up and walked over to join him. "Well I'd say that didn't go too well."

"Oh, you're real funny Billy. I guess that was another of Harper's friends. Our Jess seems to have made quite a few among the good citizens of Laramie." Zeke threw a handful of coins down on the bar and indicated that Sam should leave the bottle. "But they ain't _all_ his friends… not by a long road." Looking around the saloon he noted a few furtive glances in his direction and some heated discussion taking place. "There're a few here that got no likin' for Harper. Just one good spark in the kindlin' is all it takes."

Ignoring the unfriendly glare from the barman, Zeke grabbed the bottle and took it over to the table where Pete was sitting. Billy shrugged to himself and followed him over. Zeke poured a round of drinks and sat back with a satisfied smirk on his face. "Well now… I reckon I dropped a big enough stone in the lake. Let's just set awhile and see how far the ripples spread."

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Ethan Judd found the incident at the bar of great interest. _So, Jess Harper ain't so squeaky clean after all_. _Seems a real shame to keep a man away from his own kid._

Ethan's mind went back to the day Jess Harper had accused him of being hand in glove with a bunch of rustlers. Jess had been part of the posse who'd brought the rustlers in. One of the posse members had been killed capturing the gang, and Jess had recalled seeing Ethan talking with one of the accused men. Ethan swore on oath that he hadn't known the man and was just having a friendly conversation with a stranger. There was no evidence to connect Ethan with the rustling and the rustlers had refused to implicate him. Ethan had escaped a jail sentence but the accusation had resulted in the loss of his job at the Sherman ranch.

No one would employ him as a ranch hand once word got around as to why he'd been sacked. _So here I am… stuck with a lousy, low-paid job at a timber yard, haulin' logs with a team of stubborn, ornery darn mules_. He sipped his beer morosely as he recalled the fight he'd had with Jess the day the posse came back with the rustlers. Mort Cory had broken up the fight but he'd still taken him into custody. Not that he held any grudge against Mort over it. The Sheriff had dealt fairly with him. Jess had been mad as hell when Ethan had been released but there was nothing he could do about it. There just wasn't enough evidence to stand up in court. Ethan smiled to himself… _Guess I weren't exactly innocent. I never had no hand in the rustling though… I just looked the other way for an old friend_. Guilty or not Ethan still resented losing his job over it. His smile widened as the vision of a possible payback drifted before him. Making up his mind, he downed the rest of his beer and made his way over to where Zeke sat with his friends.

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Aware of being watched, Zeke turned and saw that they had the attention of a tall, lean man with scruffy dark hair and even scruffier clothes, who was standing a couple of feet from the table. He looked the man over.

"Is there somethin' we can do for you mister? 'Cause if there ain't I'd sure appreciate it if you'd take yourself off. Here…" Zeke tossed the man a coin and it was caught with a deft hand "…get yourself a drink on me. This here's a private conversation."

The man looked at the coin and rubbed it against his shirt before moving closer to the table and placing the coin on the table in front of Zeke. "I appreciate the offer and I apologise for interruptin' your conversation, but I'm wonderin' if there's somethin' I can do for you. I wasn't listenin' in you understand, but when you were talkin' at the bar I couldn't hardly help hearin' you mention the name of a man I had a real bad dust up with a few months ago."

Zeke gave the man a long, calculating look before hooking his foot around a nearby chair and dragging it over to the table. As the chair legs grated noisily on the bare boards of the floor the rest of the company in the saloon looked curiously over but Zeke stared pointedly at them and one by one, they turned back to their own conversations.

"Sit down friend," Zeke told the man. "Billy… why don't you go get us an extra glass?"

As Billy made his way over to the bar, the man sat down and leaned back in the chair. "I'm much obliged to you. Name's Ethan… Ethan Judd."

Billy came back with the glass and placed it on the table in front of Ethan.

Picking up the bottle Zeke poured a measure of whiskey into the empty glass and then topped up the others. He turned to Ethan. "Am I right in thinkin' you're talkin' about one Jess Harper?"

Ethan picked up his glass and saluted the others before knocking back the contents with a grimace for the effects of the raw liquor. It wasn't the best the house had to offer but he wasn't about to refuse it. "You ain't wrong. I reckon I saw you in Ben Dooley's a coupla days ago. Zeke, ain't it?"

Zeke refilled Ethan's glass but he gave the man a slightly sour look. "You got a good memory Ethan. You got good hearin' too. Anythin' else you mighta heard us talkin' about?" He indicated Billy and Pete in turn. "This here's Billy and his brother Pete."

Ethan nodded at the two men and took a slightly more cautious swig of his refilled glass. "I ain't heard nothin' else. Wasn't aimin' to… I just heard Billy here call you

by name is all." He gestured with his glass before taking another swallow. "It's a cryin' shame how your woman treated you. A man's got a right to see his boy if'n he wants to."

Schooling his features into a semblance of hurt indignation, Zeke nodded. "A god-given right Ethan. It was real hurtful too, her tellin' everyone I'd forced myself on her." He shook his head sadly. "I would've married the girl and that's God's truth. And now I find her hangin' around with Harper again. So, Ethan… what's your argument with Jess Harper?"

As Zeke picked up the bottle and leaned over to refill Ethan's glass, Ethan hurriedly put his hand over the glass and shook his head. "I've had a mite to drink already and I wanna keep a clear head but I thank you kindly." He leaned back in his chair. "I got taken on by Slim Sherman this spring to help move the stock to the higher pasture while Harper was busy deputisin' for our Sheriff. Cory's usual deputy was out of circulation with a fever and he wanted some help trackin' down a couple of rustlers who'd… er… misappropriated… several head of cattle. I wasn't acquainted with those gentlemen but Harper seen me talkin' to one of 'em and accused me of bein' in cahoots with 'em. He couldn't prove nothin' though and I went free but he done lost me my job at the Sherman spread and I ain't found nothin' else yet 'ceptin' a lousy job haulin' timber."

Zeke favoured Ethan with a grin. "Well that's a real unfair way to treat a man, Ethan. We oughta do somethin' about that, don't ya think?" He poured yet another round of drinks, emptying the bottle and this time Ethan didn't cover his glass. "Why don't we drink to Jess Harper's health?" He held out his glass and grinned as the others clinked their glasses against his.

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Despite the apparent lack of interest in Zeke's story at the time, enough of Jess's critics heard it and took the opportunity to spread the unfavourable rumours. Several days later Sam was disturbed to find that the subject of Jess's involvement with Evie Emerson and how she'd cheated Zeke of seeing his son growing up was the main topic of conversation in his saloon. Sam left Ruby in charge of the saloon, and took his concerns to Laramie's Sheriff, relating Zeke's exchange in the saloon with Hal and the rumours now spreading.

"I don't like the man, Mort. I wouldn't trust him or his two friends as far as I could throw 'em and that isn't even as far as the door of the saloon. I suppose you know Ethan Judd's taken up with 'em now? He's been nursin' a grudge ever since Jess accused him of bein' in cahoots with those rustlers. I know there weren't no proof and he got off the charge, but he wouldn't be above gettin' his own back. I reckon they're hatchin' out a mess of trouble between 'em and someone ought to let Jess know. This Evie Emerson oughta be told what's bein' said about her too. You oughta tell 'em to move on before they can do any more damage."

"Thanks for lettin' me know Sam. I appreciate it. You're not the first to warn me about this. Hal's already been over to tell me what's been said. Trouble is…" Mort frowned and brought his fist down on his desk in frustration "…they've done nothin' but talk and much as I dislike what they're sayin' that's no reason for me to tell 'em to leave. I got nothin' on 'em unless they do somethin' other than talk." Mort rose from his seat behind the desk and walking over to the pot-bellied stove in the corner he poured himself a mug of coffee. He held the pot up to Sam in invitation.

"Thanks for the offer Mort but I'd better get back to the saloon." Sam opened the door to the street. "I guess your hands are tied at that but that shootin' contest is set for this Saturday. If those three are still around and hangin' out with Ethan Judd I wouldn't be surprised if there was trouble of some sort. They spend more of their time over at Ben Dooley's than they do at the Stockman's Palace but I'll let you know if I pick up anythin' else. You'd best keep your eyes and ears open."

"I'll do that Sam and I'll ride over to the Sherman place tomorrow and have a word with Jess; see if I can find out what's behind the gossip."

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As the dust thrown up by the departing noon stage began to settle, Jess strode toward the cabin. He removed his hat and swiped his sleeve across his sweat-dampened forehead. So far, the day had been blazing hot with no breeze to cool things down, and the humidity had increased as the day went on. He glanced up at the ominous dark clouds building on the horizon. _Looks like a big storm brewin'… might even cool things down a bit_. Ramming his hat firmly back on his head, Jess paused as he heard the sound of a horse approaching and turned back, looking toward the road. As the rider came in sight, he waved his hand in greeting and walked forward.

"Jess…" Sheriff Mort Cory reined in his horse as he came up alongside the young rancher. "You're just the man I need to talk to."

Jess grinned and idly patted the neck of Mort's sweating mount as he squinted up at the Sheriff in the bright sunlight. "How's that Mort? You turned up another old wanted poster on me or somethin'?"

Mort dismounted. "No… nothin' like that Jess. It'd be a mite simpler if that was all it was."

"Sounds like somethin' I don't wanna know about." Jess took the reins from Mort and fondled the horse's velvet muzzle as he talked softly to the tired animal. "Hey boy… ole Mort been ridin' ya hard? Let's get ya a nice drink over at the horse trough, huh? And then ya can cool off a little in the barn."

"Never mind my horse. I'm pretty thirsty too, ya know?" Mort followed Jess as he led the tired horse across the yard and pumped fresh water into the trough. The horse drank thirstily.

"I reckon you are Mort, but it was your idea to come out here in this heat, not his. Why don't you go on in the house? Stage has just gone through and I reckon Daisy's got some coffee left. We've got company today too. Evie Emerson's here. Her son Ben went into Laramie with Mike on the stage this mornin'. It bein' the last day of term he's gettin' to know Miss McNeal and the boys and Evie's gonna take him back home with her when the stage gets in."

Mort raised a questioning eyebrow. "Evie Emerson? Your new neighbour?"

"Yeah… William Emerson bought Jed Hackett's place. Evie's his daughter. They come here from Texas. I knew 'em when I was a kid." Jess tugged gently on the reins of Mort's horse pulling him away from the trough. "I'll settle this ole boy into the barn for a rest. I reckon he deserves it. I'll be with ya in a few minutes Mort." Jess moved towards the barn and the horse stepped reluctantly away from the trough. "Come on boy, that's enough water for now. Let's get you outta this hot sun."

Mort trudged over to the cabin. As he stepped up onto the porch he heard the sound of laughter from inside and opened the door to find a diminutive young woman dressed in a checked shirt and denims sitting at the table and chatting happily to Slim and Daisy.

"Why Mort!" Daisy exclaimed as she looked up. "This is an unexpected surprise. Come in and sit down. You look as if you've had a hot ride. I have some fresh coffee on or there's lemonade if you'd prefer."

Mort tipped his hat to the ladies and then placed it on the leather couch under the window. He nodded his head toward the jug of lemonade on the table. "I'd be more than happy to settle for a glass of your lemonade Daisy." Drawing one of the chairs out from the table he sat down.

Daisy filled a glass with the cool lemonade and placed it down in front of the Sheriff. "Did you see Jess out in the yard? He saw the noon stage off a good ten minutes ago and I thought he was coming straight back to the house."

"Yes, I've seen him… He's just settlin' my old horse into the barn and he'll be in. He was a darned sight more concerned about my horse than he was about me."

Slim grinned. "That sounds like Jess all right."

Taking a sip from the cool lemonade Mort sighed contentedly and raised his glass to Daisy. "That sure lays the dust."

"Have you met our new neighbours yet Mort?" Daisy indicated Evie. "This is Evie, William Emerson's daughter. Evie meet our good Sheriff, Mort Cory. Evie's father bought Jed Hackett's place."

"Jess was just tellin' me about that." Mort stood up briefly and nodded to Evie. "Ma'am… It's a real pleasure to meet you. I met your brother Frank in town just last week. Jess said you knew each other in Texas. Quite a coincidence you endin' up here as neighbours. How are you settlin' in?"

Evie smiled up at Mort. She knew Jess thought a lot of this man from something he'd said and she liked the twinkle in his eyes. This was a man with a sense of humour she thought. "Very nicely, thank you Sheriff. Frank told me he'd met you."

As Mort settled down in his chair again, the door to the cabin opened to admit Jess. He'd brushed himself down on the porch with his hat and a cloud of fine dust wafted in with him as he stood just inside the open door. "Dadgum…! It's hot out there and gettin' hotter every minute. Storm's comin' though. I reckon it'll break soon."

Evie took a slightly nervous glance out of the open door. "I hope it doesn't break before I get Ben back home. I hate to be out in thunder storms and I'd prefer not to get soaked to the skin by the rain. You'd better shut the door before more dust blows in Jess. You'll be in Daisy's bad books."

With a little exclamation, Daisy rushed over to the door and pushed it firmly closed. "It won't do any good to tell him that Evie. Jess doesn't have to sweep the dust up after himself." She tempered her remark by giving the young rancher a fond pat on the cheek. "I can't believe the number of storms we've had this summer. It's not usually so humid this time of year."

"Do the storms always come on so suddenly here?" Through the window, Evie could see the branches of the old cotton tree in the yard swaying in a light wind.

"Not when it's hot and dry but when it's sticky like this they seem to blow up real sudden. There weren't a breath of wind around a half hour ago but the cloud was buildin' in the West. I reckon it's gonna be a good'un." Running a hand through his sweat-dampened hair, Jess hung the dusty, sweat-stained hat on a hook by the door. "I unsaddled your horse Mort. The poor ole boy was plumb tuckered out by that ride. I reckon it's about time he retired."

"Him and me both Jess." Mort quipped.

Pouring himself a glass of lemonade, Jess carried it over to the rocking chair and sat down. "OK Mort… Say your piece. What's up?"

Slim looked up with a slight frown. "I guess you didn't come out here just to pass the time of day then. What can we do for you Mort?"

Mort's expression darkened. "I reckon it's more what I can do for Jess. Sam came to see me over at the jailhouse last night. He was worried about some talk he's been hearin' at the saloon and he figures there's trouble brewin'. He's not the only one to tell me either. To cut a long story short, there's a rumour bein' spread around town and it concerns you and Miss Emerson here. It might be better if we talked it over in private."

A frown creased Jess's brow and sent the inner corner of his left eyebrow up toward his hairline. He leaned forward abruptly and put down the glass of lemonade. "Just what sort of a rumour Mort? And who's been spreadin' it?"

At Mort's words, Evie paled and looked down. "I think I might know Jess. I… I guess it's partly about me and Ben. If I'm right, there's only one person who could be to blame for it, though why he's here or why he'd even want to try and find me is beyond me."

Jess heard the distress in Evie's voice. He stood up and strode over to her, squatting down by her side. "And you reckon it's Zeke Patterson. Ain't that right Evie?"

Evie looked down at Jess, surprised. "You… you know, Jess?"

Jess shook his head, unwilling to divulge his conversation with William. "I don't _know_ anythin' for sure, Evie. I'm just guessin'…" He lowered his voice and spoke quietly so only Evie could hear. "Ben _does_ kinda look a little like Zeke."

Blushing slightly, Evie looked away and addressed her next words to Mort. "There's no need to discuss this in private Sheriff. I think it's time I told you all who Ben's father is."

Mort nodded. "It _would_ help me understand what's goin' on here and why." He sat back and waited quietly for Evie to speak.

"Are you sure you want to tell us, Evie?" Daisy asked.

Sighing resignedly, Evie shook her head. "I wish I didn't have to Daisy. It isn't an easy thing to talk about but I think I have to tell you. It seems Ben's father is here in town tellin' everyone his pack of lies so I want them to know the truth. I've never lied about my single state. In fact, I've always made it quite clear I wasn't married and I'm sure you've all wondered about that." She looked across at Mort again. "Is there a man in town called Zeke Patterson?"

Mort nodded. "Yes ma'am, there is."

"I was right then. I can't tell you what he said about Jess, but why don't I start by tellin' you what he said about me. I led him on and then accused him of forcin' me. He offered to marry me when I found out I was pregnant and I refused him; I wouldn't let him see his son and I ran off and took the boy away where he couldn't find him." She gave a sad smile. "That's what he's been sayin' isn't it?"

Mort nodded. "That's about it Miss Emerson."

"Please Sheriff… I hate formalities almost as much as I hate lies. I'd rather you just called me Evie." She smiled shyly at him. "I know you're a good friend of Jess's and that's enough for me. I feel that I can trust you."

Mort dipped his head in grateful acknowledgement of her words and after a brief pause Evie continued.

"I have to say there's some truth in what he said." She noted the shocked looks on the faces around the table and the confused look on Jess's face. "Yes, I accused Zeke of forcin' me; yes, he asked me to marry him; and yes, I refused. The only reason he offered to marry me was because he knew I'd never agree to it. I denied him access to Ben too." She paused and looked down at her hands gripping the coffee cup in front of her and made an effort to relax them.

Jess stood up, but he stayed close to Evie and put a supportive arm around her shoulders. She lifted a tentative hand and he took hold of it. At Jess's touch she pulled herself together and continued. "That's all true. But it isn't true that I ever gave him any indication that I liked him, or that I welcomed his attentions and I certainly never led him on. That's all lies."

Evie looked up at Jess and he gave her an encouraging smile. "You're doin' real good Evie. I reckon we can guess the rest you don't have to tell us what happened with Zeke."

Drawing a deep breath, Evie shook her head. "No, Jess. I want you all to know just what he's like. One day… just after I was 15… I went lookin' for watercress in the stream. Do you remember where that stream pooled Jess? And that big old rock you used to sit on to do your thinkin'?"

Jess smiled at the reminiscence. "Yeah… I remember…"

"Well, I suppose you'll think it's silly… but after you left I used to go there sometimes. I always felt a little closer to you there." Evie's cheeks turned a little pinker. "To you and Ben that is. Anyway… that day, I sat for quite a while rememberin' Ben. I really missed him. I was wonderin' where you were too and if I'd ever see you again. I realised it was gettin' late and I started lookin' for the watercress so I could get on home but then I heard voices nearby… It was Zeke and he had Billy and Pete with him."

"It figures…" Jess almost spat the words out. "Go on Evie…" he said more gently. "We're none of us blamin' you."

"I know Jess…" Evie saw Jess's sympathy mirrored on the faces of everyone else in the room. "Well… I was real frightened and I tried to run on home, but Zeke grabbed hold of me and tried to kiss me. I struggled but he wouldn't let me go. Billy and Pete just stood there gigglin' like a pair of little kids and Zeke shouted at them to get lost. They went but I could see they didn't want to go. Zeke seemed real strange, sort of wild and out of control… I tried to fight him off, but he was too strong for me. When he shook me real hard and hit me I was afraid he'd hurt me even worse so I just let him do what he wanted. Lookin' back I think he must've been real drunk. He never spoke a word to me… not the whole time and when he'd finished he just walked off and left me lyin' there."

Evie brushed impatiently at the sudden tears and Jess handed her his spare bandana. "You don't have to say any more Evie."

"No Jess. I'm all right." She took the bandana and dabbed away the tears. "I was too shocked to even move for a while but then I cleaned myself up in the stream and I went home and told Pa what'd happened. He stormed off to see Zeke's Pa but Zeke wasn't there. I guess he didn't dare turn up drunk like that. When he turned up the next day, he said I'd led him on. He said I was more than willin' and that he didn't have any need to force me. He got Billy and Pete to swear that I encouraged him to go up to the pool with me. No one believed he was lyin' except Pa and Frank… and some of the poorer folk too. They knew what he was like. Pa found out then just who his friends really were. When I found I was pregnant, Zeke offered to marry me. He never cared anythin' about me or the baby and he knew I'd refuse. He's the last man I'd marry! Frank and Pa took the matter of the rape to the Texas Rangers but it was just my word against Zeke's so there was nothin' they could do." Evie paused briefly as she dabbed at her eyes again with Jess's bandana.

"About a year after Ben was born, Zeke disappeared for several years along with Billy and Pete. Things started to settle down and we thought he'd gone for good. But then he came back, and all the unpleasantness got stirred up again with Zeke pesterin' me and tryin' to say he had the right to see Ben. Just why, I don't really know. Sometimes I think he enjoys stirrin' up trouble. His Pa finally realised what he was like and he disowned him. Even Billy and Pete's Pa wasn't too happy to see them. All three of them just up and disappeared again, but the damage was done by that time. It was real hard on Ben; he was old enough to understand some of what was happenin'. We couldn't stay there any longer… not after that. It would've been too hard, never knowin' when Zeke might turn up again out of the blue. Pa and Frank started makin' enquiries with the land agent about findin' a new place to settle around Colorado or Wyomin' or even Montana. Jed Hackett's old place came up real quick. Mr. Patterson wanted to expand his place, so he bought up our land and what livestock we had and… here we are."

Evie looked over at Mort. "That's the honest truth Sheriff. I've never pretended I was married and I've never told any lies about Zeke. He's got no real interest in Ben or in me so why would he come lookin' for us? Surely, not just to enjoy makin' trouble? And how did he track us down so quickly? We never told anyone where we were goin'. The only person who knew was the land agent. It just doesn't make any sense."

As Evie fell silent, Jess was aware of how tightly her small hand was gripping his. He was seized with a strong desire to fold both his arms around her and keep her safe from Zeke Patterson and whatever else the world decided to throw at her.

He'd felt the same need to protect her when he was just fourteen but now that protective instinct was tinged with desire and he smothered it quickly. _It's the last thing she needs right now… I reckon Zeke Patterson's got a lot to answer for_.

Mort was the first to break the long silence that ensued. "I'm sorry for what you and your family have been through Evie and I can appreciate the courage it took to talk about it." He looked around the table at the others. "I promise you that I'll do what I can to put a stop to these rumours, but you have to understand that much as it grieves me, until Zeke Patterson and his friends do more than just talk, there's nothin' I can do to run 'em out of town. Evie, do I have your permission to make sure folks around here know just what sort of man Zeke Patterson is and that he's spreadin' a whole parcel of lies about you? I won't go into any detail but if folks around here get some notion of what sort of man he really is, his trouble makin' won't be welcomed by anyone and that might deter him from stayin' around."

Evie held him with a steady gaze. "I have nothin' to be ashamed of Sheriff. You can tell the whole sorry tale. I want folks to know what he did, and I'd like to know please what it is he's been sayin' about Jess."

"Yeah Mort…" Jess said. "I'd kinda like to know about that myself. There ain't nothin' goin' on between me and Evie. There never has been anythin'. I ain't seen Evie since she was fourteen. I went back there to tell William Emerson and his wife about Ben. I never spoke to Evie then and we only just met up again, so what's he been sayin'?"

"It's of no consequence…" Mort waved the young rancher into silence as he fired up at Mort's seeming dismissal. "Simmer down will ya Jess…? I was about to say that it's of no consequence to anyone who knows you. He said that you were the one who hassled Evie when she was little and that you always came between 'em. He said you turned Evie against him and now you're tryin' to keep her and Ben away from him. That's all."

Jess's eyes smouldered as his quick temper flared. "That's all…? Well, ain't that enough? Yeah… I sure do wanna to keep him away from Evie and Ben but the rest of it ain't true Mort. He…"

"Calm down will ya Jess…? I'm not sayin' it's true. I'm just tellin' you what he's been sayin'. No one in this room believes any of it. And I doubt any other folk who really know you believe it either. Zeke's done himself no favours in Laramie with this story."

Evie reached up and laid her free hand on top of Jess's. "Hush now Jess. What Zeke says don't matter none. Folk won't believe any of what he said about you and they'll know the truth soon enough." She turned to Mort. "You should know Sheriff that Zeke hated Jess when we were kids and I guess he's tryin' to ruin what he's built up here for himself… set folk against him. Jess is five years older than me and when I was just a little kid, he was my hero. Jess looked out for me. He helped my brother Ben keep Zeke away from me. You see… besides bein' a bully Zeke had a way of lookin' at me that frightened me. I didn't know why he made me feel that way. Not then… I was too young to understand. But Jess knew… didn't you Jess?"

"Yeah… I knew." Jess looked grim. "My Pa wouldn't have him anywhere near my sisters 'cos he knew Zeke had a real unpleasant interest in little girls."

"So, can you see now why Zeke hated him? Why he would want to spoil things here for Jess?" Evie looked from Mort to Slim. "It was because Jess knew Zeke for what he was."

Daisy had slipped quietly out into the kitchen after hearing Evie's story and now she returned with the fresh pot of coffee she'd been brewing. "Can't you ask him to leave town Mort? Knowing that about him, surely you can do something?

Mort looked about as frustrated as he felt. "Can you prove it? Either of you?"

"No Sheriff. We can't prove it. Not any more than I can prove rape against him."

"I'm about as powerless in this as the Texas Rangers were over Zeke's attack on you Evie. Without any proof, all this is just hearsay and there is absolutely nothing I can do, except to keep an eye on him. We can warn folk about him though, and that's what I intend to do when I get back to town."

Daisy poured out the coffee and passed the cups around the table. "Well then, let's sit down and talk about what we can do to refute the lies that dreadful man has been spreading around."

Giving a last squeeze to Evie's hand, Jess pulled a chair up to the table and sat down. "You got any ideas Slim?"

Slim shook his head. "I just don't know Jess. Ain't nothin' we can do except for what Mort suggested. Maybe it'd be best if Evie didn't go to the shootin' contest on Saturday? Anyone can attend those events, Zeke and his two pals included, and until we get this sorted out, it might be best to keep Ben away from the possibility of Zeke gettin' to him."

Jess drew his brows together. "That's the worst thing she could do Slim, and why should Evie stay away. She ain't done nothin' wrong. We can keep Ben safe and anyway, Zeke wouldn't dare try anythin' with the whole town lookin' on. How about it Evie?"

"I wouldn't give Zeke the satisfaction of lettin' him know he bothered me that much." Evie's small chin had a decidedly stubborn thrust to it. "Besides… I've been lookin' forward to it ever since Daisy mentioned it and Ben's gettin' real excited about it too. He'll have met Mike's friends today and he'll be wantin' to see them all again. Zeke isn't about to disappear into thin air and we can't hide away forever. We have to sort this once and for all."

"For what it's worth…" Daisy added "I agree with Jess and Evie. It won't solve anything for Evie to avoid Zeke."

"I guess your right." Slim agreed. "She can't avoid him forever and we just have to find a way to settle this for good. But how?"

Daisy made a futile attempt to secure the wayward strand of hair that always seemed to escape her pins. "I think I'll pay a little visit to the Women's Group tomorrow. There's a meeting in town to discuss the items we have for the sale and it's an ideal opportunity to bring this up. Why don't you come with me Evie?"

The light of battle sparked in Evie's eyes. "I'd like nothin' better…" As she spoke, the approaching storm announced itself with an ominous rumble of thunder.

Getting up from the table, Slim opened the door and stepped out onto the porch studying the sky. The branches of the Cottonwood tree lashed around as a sudden gust of wind swirled the dust in the yard, wafting it in through the open doorway. Slim came back in closing the door behind him. "The wind's sure gettin' up out there. I reckon that storm'll break in the next hour."

Mort downed the last of his coffee and stood up. "I don't think Evie should drive Ben home without some company. Not with Patterson and his friends hangin' around. I guess it's about time I was ridin' back to town. If you can set the ladies of the Women's Group straight on this Daisy, that'll really put the word around and I'll go see Hal and Sam and tackle the menfolk. Between us, we'll discredit Patterson's story and there'll be time for it to get around before next Saturday."

Jess saw the flicker of lightning in his peripheral vision. "Slim's right. That storm's gettin' closer. I'll take Evie and Ben home when it's passed. No tellin' when that'll be though…" He turned to Mort. "I'll help you saddle up Mort. You might make it back to town before it breaks but I'd have your slicker handy if I were you."

Evie began to gather up the used crockery. "I hope to see you in town tomorrow Sheriff."

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Fifteen minutes after Mort started back to Laramie, Evie stood in the barn watching Jess ready the tack for the afternoon stage.

"What did you get up to after the war Jess? After you came to tell us about Ben that is? Pa said you drifted for a few years before you came here."

Jess gave a rueful grin. "Mostly I got myself in a whole lot of trouble. Even had a brief spell in jail for somethin' I didn't do but there was one lawman who believed me, and he got me cleared. He did me a real favour and I stayed out of trouble after that. I spent a lot of time tryin' to track down the Bannisters but I didn't catch up with Frank Bannister until after I met Slim."

"What happened Jess?" Evie asked. "Did you… Did you kill him?"

"I wish I had…" Jess's grin faded to be replaced with a regretful frown. "I darn near threw away everythin' I had here goin' after Frank Bannister, and in the end someone else got the pleasure of finishin' him off." For a brief moment, Jess's expression took on a slightly distant look as he remembered the events of that trip. "I got sworn in as Deputy to the Marshall who was trailin' 'em and we tracked 'em for two weeks along the Santa Fe trail all the way to New Mexico…"

Jess told Evie the story of how he and the Marshall had ended up afoot and running from the Bannister gang in the desert, and how they'd just made it to the Defiance trading post after Jess was injured.

"…Anyway, Bannister reckoned without Clint Gentry and the other men of Fort Defiance. They got Reb back safely and Bannister finally got what was comin' to him, but it weren't me that gave it him. The Doc at the tradin' post who'd dug the bullet outta my shoulder laced my coffee with laudanum to stop me goin' after Bannister. I was real angry at the time but I was glad Bannister was dead and I could finally stop lookin' for him and call this place home."

Putting a hand on Jess's arm Evie looked up at him. "I'm glad you found a home and people you can call family. I never stopped wonderin' where you were and if I'd ever see you again. You made a big impression on me when I was little, Jess. I used to read stories about the knights of the round table. You know…? King Arthur… in ancient England…? I used to think you were like one of those knights in shining armour. Always ready to help any of us kids who were bein' bullied. When Zeke…" She left the words unsaid but they hung heavily in the air between her and Jess. "I prayed that you would turn up to save me Jess… the way you always did when we were kids."

More thunder rumbled followed by a flash of lightning, briefly illuminating the dim interior of the barn through the open door. A myriad of emotions flickered across Jess's expressive face and then he hung the leather bridle he'd been checking over the stall, wanting nothing more than to wrap his arms around her but he held back. "I just wanted to look after you Evie. You were so small and shy, and frightened." He paused and lifting a hand, he gently stroked her cheek, letting his finger stray along the delicate line of her jaw. He studied her face, his eyes wandering over her wavy, fair hair then he dropped his hand and turned back to the leather bridle. "I never forgot how you looked with that golden hair an' all. I hardly saw you for more than a second or two when I came to tell your Pa about Ben, but I remember how you looked then. When I saw you again last Sunday, it took my breath away to see you all growed up and with a son an' all."

Evie was surprised at the feelings kindled by the rough warmth of his hand on her cheek and the deep tone of his husky voice. Jess had been a very special boy and though she'd only just met him again, Evie thought he'd grown into a very special man. "I named Ben for the brother I loved and missed so much. But he has a couple of other names… can you guess what they are?"

Jess looked at her, hardly daring to believe what she was suggesting. "Not…? You didn't name him after me…?"

Evie smiled up at him. "His full name is Benjamin William Jesse Emerson."

A boyish grin lit up Jess's face. "Jesse, huh? I'll bet that didn't go down too well with your Pa."

"By the time Ben was born, Pa'd had enough time to learn the truth about a few things. After Zeke… After that… Pa was brought to understand that a man's circumstances didn't have a whole lot to do with his real worth. He told me and Frank he'd misjudged you and your family, and he always said that he hoped to have a chance to make it up to you one day. He was so happy when we told him that you were our neighbour."

Falling silent, Evie continued to look up at him and Jess found his heart pounding in his chest with her closeness. Cupping her delicate face in his strong hands, he leaned down and kissed her but broke away abruptly. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have done that…"

Evie was confused. She hadn't thought her feelings for Jess would be this strong. She'd thought he was just the hero figure from her childhood but now she wasn't so sure. There was an intriguing aura around Jess: an intoxicating mixture of danger and vulnerability and she couldn't deny she was very attracted to him. She found herself wishing that Jess had been the first man to have touched her the way Zeke did and then she stopped herself. _But what about Danny? How can I feel like this about Jess if I love Danny? And I do love Danny… don't I?_

Taking Evie's long silence as a rejection, Jess lowered his head and turned his attention back to the bridle he'd been checking.

Evie laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and pulled him around to face her. "I wanted you to kiss me Jess. It was wrong of me, but I wanted you to."

Puzzled, Jess took hold of the hand she'd rested on his shoulder. "If you wanted me to, why was it so wrong?" A sudden realisation hit him. "The Texas Ranger… Ben's friend Danny…?"

Evie nodded. "Danny was one of the Texas Rangers who came to see us when Frank reported Zeke to them. He'd not long signed up. He was just two years older than me and he was real upset that the Rangers couldn't take our case any further. It was just my word against Zeke's… no witnesses you see? Danny came to see me a few months later to make sure I was all right and then he just kept coming back whenever he was in the area, even though he knew I was pregnant with Zeke's child. Ben absolutely adores him and I love him. He's a good man Jess. He's protective and caring, much like you in so many ways except that he's as fair as you're dark. How can I be so attracted to you when I love Danny? I don't know… I'm confused. Please… don't be angry with me?"

Jess gave her a lop-sided grin and pulled her toward him. "I'm not angry with you Evie. I guess we're both a little confused right now. Me with a memory of this little golden-haired kid and you with a scrawny bare-foot kid as a childhood hero. I reckon we're as bad as each other. I don't truly know how I feel about you Evie, so I guess that makes two of us, but I can't help wantin' to kiss you and Danny ain't here right now…"

Evie lifted her face up to his like a flower seeking the sun and Jess gathered her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly, all thought of Danny forgotten.

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Slim wandered over to the barn to find out if Jess needed any help but he paused in the doorway as he saw Jess with his arms around Evie. Smiling to himself, he backed silently away.

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It was an exciting but very wet journey back to the Sherman ranch for Mike and Ben. The storm finally broke at about 3 o'clock and raged for a couple of hours before moving away, leaving a sullen and overcast sky. Jess refused to let Evie drive home unescorted in view of the news Mort had brought them and William had pressed him to eat supper with them. He'd returned only a short time ago and after giving Traveller a good brush down and settling him in the dry stall next to his friend Alamo, he'd joined Slim on the porch. The two men sat drinking their coffee and enjoying the evening air which was less humid in the wake of the storm.

Slim turned to study his partner. "Are you in love with Evie, Jess?"

Jess looked up sharply at his friend's question but then he lowered his head and gave a rueful grin. "Is it that obvious?"

Slim shook his head. "I wouldn't say that exactly, but I happened to walk in on you two in the barn this afternoon. It wasn't intentional and I snuck away before you saw me but it looked kinda serious to me."

Jess was silent for a moment, thinking. "I don't rightly know how I feel about Evie. I ain't in love… not yet anyways. I reckoned I was in love with Laurel deWalt, and maybe I was… once. For a while I thought I couldn't live without her and just when I thought I'd put her out of my mind… It sure hurt when she just turned up like that and I found I wanted her as much as ever. l fell out of love with her fast enough when I found out what she was really like." Jess turned to Slim with a slightly worried look on his expressive face. "Evie was kinda special to me when we were kids. I always wanted to look after her, protect her… but that's all. I still feel that way, but I can't say I ever felt like that about any of the saloon girls I've been with, or Laurel either come to think of it. It was Laurel's men that needed protectin', not Laurel. I only had a brief glimpse of Evie when she was fourteen, but I never forgot that pretty little face and when Daisy told us she had a child I felt real angry that any man could use her like that. When I met her again last Sunday…" Jess paused, looking down, his brow creased in thought "protectin' her sure wasn't the first thing on my mind. I just don't know how I feel Slim. I never really knew her, and I've only just met her again. It's gotta be just physical attraction ain't it Slim? I can't love someone I don't hardly know, can I?"

Slim put a hand on Jess's shoulder. "Don't get too wound up about the whys and wherefores Jess. Just take it slow and easy with her. Evie's been hurt. Don't go committin' yourself unless you're sure. Get to know her properly first before you make up your mind to anythin'."

Jess gave a grimace. "I guess that'd be good advice but for one thing. It's kinda complicated Slim. Ya see… Evie's as confused as I am. D'ya remember Ben talkin' about a Texas Ranger called Danny when we first met him in William's barn?"

After a brief pause, Slim nodded. "Yeah… I remember. What does this Danny have to do with it Jess?"

"Evie's known him for years, since before Ben was born. He asked her to marry him last fall, but she refused because of him bein' a Texas Ranger. Said she was worried about what it would do to Ben if he finally got himself a Pa who cared about him only to lose him to an outlaw's bullet. Well… Danny resigned from the Texas Rangers. He did it for Evie's sake, and Evie agreed to marry him before she left Texas. He's comin' here when his replacement arrives." Heaving a sigh, Jess shook his head. "She told me she loves him, but she's confused by how she feels about me. I reckon she'll know her true feelin's when Danny turns up. So, you see Pard… _why_ I feel the way I do don't make a darn bit of difference."

Slim clapped a sympathetic hand on Jess's shoulder. "I can see why you'd both be so confused. Why does everythin' you get yourself involved in have to be so darn complicated, Jess?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8 – Confrontation

The day after Mort's visit to the Sherman ranch, Daisy and Evie enjoyed a successful and satisfying meeting with the members of the Women's Group. Without exception, the ladies rallied around Evie when they heard what she had to say about Zeke and when Saturday came around Evie was happy to meet up with them again. She found herself being greeted kindly by most of the inhabitants of Laramie, all of whom had heard, either at first hand or from a third party what their womenfolk or Mort had to say about Zeke Patterson and the rumours that he'd started. Zeke's story seemed to have been completely discredited. Even some of Jess's harsher critics had revised their opinion of Zeke, if not of Jess himself.

If Zeke had known about the ripples his stone had created, he would have been well pleased with himself. Whenever anyone saw Zeke, Mort included, the first thought in their heads was what his intentions were with regard to Evie and Ben.

Evie told William and Frank about Mort's visit to the Sherman ranch and they decided not to say anything to Ben. The chances of Zeke getting anywhere near the boy were slight and she didn't want her son to know that he'd turned up again unless she really had to.

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When Slim and Jess arrived at the showground along with Daisy, Mike and their new neighbours, Mort was in attendance as both town Sheriff, and steward. Mike and Ben took off almost immediately to find Mike's friends, stopping only briefly to acknowledge Daisy's hasty instruction to behave, to stay close to their friends and not to wander away from the main area of the showground. As Jess, Slim and Frank added their names to the list for the shooting contest and paid the entry fee, Daisy stood waiting with Evie.

Daisy was a little surprised when William stood back and made no attempt to add his name to the list. "Aren't you putting your name down for the contest William?"

William raised his hands as if in defence and shook his head. "Not me Daisy! I'm no match for these boys. I can handle a shotgun well enough but that's about it. I keep my rifle for emergencies but I'll leave it to these young men to uphold our honour today."

"Mort…?" The Sheriff turned toward the hesitant little voice and saw that it was Evie who'd spoken.

"What can I do for you Evie?" He asked.

"Well…" Evie hesitated again. "I don't suppose… Are women allowed to take part in this contest?"

Mort was a little taken aback by Evie's question. It was hard to see how a delicate-looking young woman like Evie would want to take part in a shooting contest. He pushed his hat back a little, scratching his head and frowning. "Well… let's see now. We're goin' by the rules of the Sunday annual shootin' match. I don't believe there's anythin' in the rules to say a woman can't take part. There isn't anythin' to say she can either but the question's never come up before…"

"Well If Louisa Swain could vote in the election of 1870…" Daisy exclaimed "…I see no reason why a woman shouldn't take part in this contest. Especially if there is nothing in the rules that states she can't."

"You weren't thinkin' of enterin', were you Evie?" Mort asked, gaining the attention of her father, brother, Slim and Jess and several of the other contenders.

"Well it seems to me that women only ever get to compete at the boring things like sewing and baking. I'd like the chance to prove that we're capable of more than that. I couldn't rope anythin' to save my life, but I can shoot." Evie gave a defiant look around as if she expected to be denied.

Frank and William exchanged a look. "Evie's as good a shot with a rifle as I am." Frank stated. "Why shouldn't she put her name down?"

Jess gave Slim a look that dared him to object. "If anyone does object Mort, you just send 'em over to me."

"Well… I reckon there's no reason why you shouldn't enter." Mort held out the pen. "I don't see a rifle though. Did you bring one?"

Evie hesitated before taking the pen. "I only just decided to take part. Am I allowed to borrow a rifle?"

"It probably wouldn't be allowed if it was the annual shootin' match but I reckon we could stretch a point." Mort turned to her brother. "How about it Frank… you gonna lend her yours?"

"There's no need for that." William stepped forward. "I may not feel that I'm good enough with a rifle to take part in this contest, but I do own one and I brought it with me. I'm happy to trust Evie with it. You put your name down Evie and I'll go back to the hotel for the rifle."

Evie gave her father a quick hug and then handing over her two dollars entry fee she took the pen that Mort was holding out to her and wrote her name down on the list.

Surprisingly, there were only a few complaints made. One or two of the contenders felt that their male prerogative was being encroached upon by allowing a mere female to take part while some of the others who weren't too happy about the situation said nothing, expecting to see Evie wiped out in the first round. The complaints were summarily dismissed by a reading of the rule book and by the Women's Group throwing their wholehearted support behind Evie and threatening their husbands with dire consequences should Evie be removed from the list.

Daisy wondered if maybe the suffragette campaign that Leora had waged in Laramie had been taken more to heart by the female residents than she'd supposed.

Since many of the town residents as well as those from several miles radius around Laramie had come to enjoy the day and to take part in the contest, it was nearly noon before the final round took place. Evie proved herself more than capable of taking on most of the contenders and she and Slim hung on until the semi-finals. Jess and Frank saw off all the competition and had to shoot it out against each other in the final round. Frank was beaten by a very narrow margin and Jess was rewarded with a prize of twenty dollars which he promptly donated to the schoolhouse fund to the sound of tumultuous applause from the crowd of onlookers. Both Jess and Frank were then treated by Sam to a celebratory beer at the refreshment table.

The afternoon was set aside mainly for the roping and riding contests and for the children's races. Mike and Ben paired up for the three-legged race, winning easily despite the slight disparity in their heights and Mike proved that he'd taken on board all of Jess's instructions when he won the children's roping contest.

The next event was not one of Jess's favourites. He enjoyed taking part in it, but the prize wasn't one he looked forward to with any relish. The mayor's middle-aged wife took great delight in placing her fancy hat on the ground at one end of the showground and the male contenders were timed to see who could pick the hat up from the ground in the fastest time while riding past on horseback. There were a lot of complete misses and several of the competitors, much to the amusement of the crowd, fell from their horses while attempting to lean down far enough to pick up the hat. Jess had won this competition for the last few years and that afternoon was no exception. The mayor's wife was very happy with the result. She always looked forward to giving Jess his congratulatory kiss on the cheek and smiled to herself when the young man blushed profusely.

As Jess walked up to his partner with an embarrassed grin, Slim raised his eyebrows and made an unsuccessful attempt to suppress a grin "Well you didn't have to take part Jess and you could've missed the hat you know?"

"What and show myself up…?" Jess rubbed his cheek vigorously in case any trace of lipstick lingered.

The steer-riding contest was held in the robust corral specially built for the purpose and one of the ranchers had loaned a steer for the contest. There was a brief panic in the crowd when the animal caught a hind leg behind one of the fence rails and threatened to pull the sturdily built fencing down. The attendant ranch hands successfully drove it back into the holding pen and a great many sighs of relief arose from the spectators. Jess changed back into his work clothes for this event and had hopes of winning the contest, but he was thrown off after holding on for very nearly the requisite number of minutes. He sailed through the air in an impressive arc, landing heavily on his left side and had to be pulled away from the steer's hooves. A loud cheer went up for Jess from his friends and supporters but a ranch hand from one of the larger spreads held on for just the few extra minutes needed to take the prize.

After the steer-riding, there were short horse races for both children and adults. Feeling somewhat bruised after being thrown by the steer, Jess reluctantly gave the horse race a miss and Slim took the honours for that event. The afternoon was rounded off with a friendly match of horseshoe pitching. Throughout the day, the members of the Women's Group held their own contests and sold their cakes, lemonade and items of craftwork to raise funds for the school and at 6:30 there was a break allowing time for the contestants to change back into their Sunday-best clothes while an army of willing helpers constructed the dance floor, lit the many lanterns and rearranged the tables and benches.

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Mike and Ben wasted no time in finding their friends and watched all the contests in their company. Despite being given a warning by Mike to steer clear of the subject, one of the boys asked Ben about his father.

"I can't tell ya much about him. I only ever saw him a few times." Ben told the boys.

"Is he dead then?" One of the boys asked.

"Nah… He ain't dead." Jack Bennett piped up. "Pa was tellin' my Ma t'other day Ben that your Ma refused to marry your Pa and that she won't let him see you. That's right ain't it?"

"How'd he know that…?" Ben asked. "My Pa's somewhere down in Texas or New Mexico."

"Heck no! Your Pa's in town. He was in the saloon in Laramie a coupla weeks back. My Pa said he was tellin' anyone who'd listen that it ain't right your Ma took you away."

Ben looked a little shocked. "He's here? In Laramie…?"

"Sure, he's here… My Pa saw him." Jack insisted.

"But how'd he know it was my Pa?" Ben asked hopefully. "He don't know him… does he?"

Jack shrugged. "He didn't need to know him, he mentioned your Ma's name."

Ben made an effort to cover his dismay at the news. "Oh… right. Well, ya see… my Pa's not a very nice man; he did somethin' awful bad to my Ma. That's why she wouldn't marry him and I sure as heck don't ever want to see him again."

"What'd he do?" A boy called Will asked as they all crowded around Ben eager to hear the story.

"Well… she don't like to talk about it…" Ben hedged. He'd heard his mother talking about it to someone before they'd left Texas and one of the older boys at school had told him what she meant by it. He wasn't sure he totally understood what it had involved but he knew his Ma hadn't wanted his Pa to do it and that he was the result of it. He decided to say as little as possible about it. "I heard her tell someone he forced her to do it."

Will looked a little puzzled. "Forced her to do what?"

"Shut up Will." Jack glared at the younger boy. "You know darn well what!"

Looking a little aggrieved Will proceeded to dig himself a deeper hole. "What'd I do…? How am I supposed to know what he forced her to do?"

"Your wits gone wanderin' or somethin'…? Your Ma's got six kids younger'n you and you ain't got but a small cabin. Don't ya know yet how they got here…?"

Will's mouth dropped open. "Oh…" He blushed scarlet and shut his mouth. "Gee… that sure is bad. I'm real sorry Ben. I just wasn't thinkin'".

Shaking his head Jack gave a disgusted grunt. "Darn right you weren't!"

Jack, Mike and a few of the other boys exchanged looks. Most of them had grown up around livestock and they had a pretty good idea what it was Ben's Pa had done. Without exception they rallied round Ben and admitted the younger boy whole heartedly to their group.

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Around 8 o'clock, Jess cut in while Evie was dancing with one of the young hands from a neighbouring ranch. Evie had been a popular choice of partner with the young and not so young, men of Laramie and she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Slim and Mort were deep in conversation with William, Frank and a few of the older male residents of Laramie over the business of Zeke Patterson and Daisy was trying to see where Mike, Ben and their friends had got to.

Jess felt a tap on his shoulder and catching sight of the dismay on Evie's face, he swung round to find Zeke trying to cut in.

Glowering at the unwelcome intrusion, Jess took a tighter hold on Evie. "You've got some nerve Zeke. You surely don't think I'd give Evie up to you?"

Zeke smirked. "Now why doesn't that surprise me. All of a piece ain't it? Takin' my woman and my son. It's a cryin' shame when a man cain't even have a dance with his woman."

"Now just one minute…! Evie ain't your woman and you ain't showed the slightest interest in Ben since he was born." Jess let go of Evie and grabbed hold of Zeke intending to manhandle him off the dance floor, but Zeke thrust free of Jess's grip and stood his ground.

Evie caught hold of Jess's arm. "Please, Jess. Don't fight… Not here…" She gave him a pleading look and then turned to Zeke. "It's like Jess said. I'm not your woman and I never have been." She flung the words at him. "I don't know why you're here, but I do know you aren't interested in either me or Ben so why don't you just go away and leave us alone."

Jess was tight-lipped with the effort to hold back his anger but for Evie's sake he resisted the temptation to throw a punch at Zeke. He put a protective arm around Evie but as the nearby couples stopped dancing to watch the drama play out before them Zeke accused Evie of playing with a man's emotions.

Evie blushed and glanced around at the small group of dancers who'd stopped to watch the altercation. "I'm not about to have this discussion in the middle of a dance floor and I'm sick of hearin' you tellin' the same lies over and over again."

"If you insist on talkin' about this Zeke…" Jess growled at him through gritted teeth "…I suggest we go and do it someplace else."

Zeke wasn't about to lose his growing audience. "Why? You gonna call me out and shoot me down, Harper? You'd like that wouldn't ya? Just about your style from what I heard about you. Well I ain't about to try and take you on." He turned to the crowd, opening his jacket to show that he wasn't armed. "Evie ain't as prim and proper as she looks, ya know. She led me on and a man just can't change his mind once he's gone so far, not like a woman can. It just ain't fair on a man. Anyways, I would've married her. I asked her to be my wife and she outright refused me. Now I reckon that ain't fair on young Ben, bein' brought up without his Pa like that…"

Jess glared at the listening crowd. "Ain't Mort already told y'all what happened?" He waved an arm in Zeke's direction. "He's lyin'." He turned back to Zeke. "That ain't the way it happened Zeke and you know it. I wouldn't call a 15-year old girl gatherin' watercress by a stream leadin' a man on. Truth is, you followed Evie when you saw an opportunity to get your way with her. You were drunk out of your mind and you took advantage of her. It ain't the action of an honourable man to take a woman against her will and that's just what you did."

"Now who's lyin'. Look here Harper. I won't be leavin' Laramie 'til I get my son and my woman." Zeke gave Evie an unpleasantly lustful look. "It wasn't such a bad experience now was it Evie? You… Ouf…!"

Zeke staggered back as Jess landed a hefty punch to his diaphragm knocking him through the temporary railings and off the edge of the dance floor onto a table, scattering the occupants. The music from the band faltered and then ceased as the other couples stopped dancing to watch the altercation. Zeke waded back in joined by Billy and Pete who tried unsuccessfully to hold onto Jess, so Zeke could throw a punch at him. Jess's friends in the crowd surged forward and took on Billy and Pete and tables and benches went flying as more of the dance floor railings succumbed to the fighting. Zeke was getting the worst of it from Jess when Slim and Mort arrived with Frank in tow. They strode in to stop the fight, but it took considerable assistance from some of the onlookers before the fighters were completely restrained.

Dusting himself off, Mort fixed both Jess and Zeke with his formidable stare. "Well what've you two got to say for yourselves. This is supposed to be a peaceable gatherin' for all the town's families and I won't have it disrupted by your personal grudges."

Jess's face worked as he tried to bring his anger under control. "I'm sorry Mort but apart from all the other lies Zeke's been tellin' he said somethin' about Evie I just couldn't stomach." Jess scowled at Zeke. "I know all about your fascination with little girls, Patterson. I knew about it down in Texas when we were just kids an' you haven't changed any. Why d'ya think I kept my little sisters away from you?" The crowd murmured amongst themselves at this new and shocking revelation. Both men struggled to get to each other but were held back firmly. Zeke was stuttering, incoherent with rage and Jess continued in a grating voice. "It's time someone taught you a lesson you won't ever forget and if you don't leave Evie and Ben alone I'll be happy to fix it so's you can't scratch your little itches ever again."

Mort shook his head in exasperation. "All right Jess…! Simmer down, will ya? I'm not denyin' Zeke isn't wearin' wings but this just isn't helpin' the situation any. As for you Patterson… I'd like nothin' better than to set Jess loose on you but I don't want any more trouble here tonight. Now, it seems Jess threw the first punch, so I can't lock you up for startin' a fight but you were the one who instigated it, so you and your friends here had better make yourselves scarce. If I hear of you spreadin' any more rumours or causin' any more trouble, or if you try and see Evie or Ben I'll lock you _all_ up for harassment and throw away the key. Now get outta my sight before I change my mind… and don't come back here tonight!"

Billy and Pete dragged Zeke away to an accompaniment of muttering from the onlookers.

Zeke wrenched away from his two friends and turning back he fixed Jess with a defiant stare. "This ain't finished Harper. I'll get even with you yet…"

"GIT…!" Mort roared, and the three men made a hurried exit.

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"Daisy! Where's Ben? Have you seen him recently?" Evie queried as the middle-aged woman hurried up to her.

Daisy took hold of Evie's hands. "Ben is fine, Evie. He's with Mike and all his friends. I saw them at the other side of the dance floor just a few minutes ago. They probably heard all the commotion, but I don't suppose they have any idea what it was about. Now come and sit down." She indicated a table a few yards away.

Evie looked anxiously around the showground. "I don't want Zeke anywhere near Ben."

Slipping an arm around Evie's waist Jess steered her toward the table. "Slim and Frank have just gone to look for them and I'd say it's more'n likely Zeke's nursin' his bruises in the saloon right now. He won't be tryin' to get near you or Ben any more tonight. Mort sent Lon to make sure Zeke and his friends left the showground and Hal went along to keep him company. Zeke won't want to fall foul of Hal."

Evie's curiosity was aroused enough to distract her from worrying about Ben. "Hal and Lon?" She sank down onto one of the bench seats Jess pulled out for her and Daisy. "Who are Hal and Lon?"

Jess sat down opposite Evie as he rubbed the back of his hand over the trickle of blood running down from his split lip and smeared it across his face. "Lon's the Deputy Sheriff around here and Hal was that big man holdin' Zeke back. He's the town's blacksmith. They're good friends of mine."

"You've made a lot of friends here, Jess. They seem to be good people, the folk of Laramie." Evie looked around the wide clearing again. "Do you know where Pa went Daisy?"

"Oh, he'll be along in a moment or two. He went to get a jug of lemonade in case the boys were thirsty." Daisy rose as she spied an abandoned glass of water on an empty table nearby and picking it up she brought it back to their table.

Jess watched her curiously. "Whadd'ya want that for Daisy? I'll get you a fresh glass of water if you need one. Are you OK?"

"This is not for me, young man." Daisy rummaged in her purse and pulled out a spare handkerchief. "This won't do it's much too small. Let me have your handkerchief will you, Jess?"

A pained expression replaced the curious look on Jess's face. "Oh no Daisy… I ain't gonna sit here and let you clean me up like a little kid. Not with half of Laramie lookin' on."

"Now Jess…" Daisy remonstrated. "You've smeared the blood from that split lip right across your face and that cut over your eye is still bleeding. Your knuckles are all bleeding too."

"I'll do it myself." Jess pulled out his handkerchief and dipping it in the water he began to dab at the cuts. "It's nothin'… and I don't need anyone fussin' over me."

William chose that moment to return with a large jug of lemonade. He was followed by three members of the women's group one of whom was carrying a tray of glasses. Putting down the jug in the centre of the table, William indicated the three ladies. "These ladies kindly carried over the glasses for me and I believe they are also responsible for makin' this wonderful lemonade."

Amy Petersen, a very attractive widow of around the same age as William, laughed delightedly. "Well, I do hope you like it William. I think we've gotten through more lemons today than I've used at home for the last year. I just hope the general store hasn't run out." She put down the tray of glasses and turned her attention to Evie. "We wanted to make sure you were all right Evie."

The other two women nodded their agreement, content to let Amy be their spokeswoman.

William waited patiently while Evie assured the ladies that she'd suffered no harm. They tutted a little over Jess's cuts and bruises but very sensibly made no attempt to mother him. After a brief conversation, they took their leave and William took his seat on the bench next to Evie.

"So, it's William already…?" Grinning over at the older man, Jess dabbed ineffectually at the cut over his eye with the damp handkerchief. "Didn't take Amy long to make your acquaintance. You do know she's a widow?"

"Give me that handkerchief Jess…" Daisy grabbed it from his hand and ignoring his protestations, she began to minister to him, wiping away the smears of blood streaking his face. "Amy is a very nice, friendly lady and I'm sure she was just welcoming a newcomer to Laramie."

"Yeah… I know how friendly Amy can be. Ow! That hurt, Daisy!" Jess flinched as Daisy gave the cut over his eye an unnecessarily hard dab.

Evie laughed at his aggrieved expression. "Why Jess! And I always thought you were so brave. You know, I met Amy the other day when I went to the meeting with Daisy and I thought she was real nice."

"Yes… I thought that too." William grinned at Jess's discomfort. "You'd better behave yourself Jess or I can see you endin' up with worse injuries than you got in that fight. We were just talkin' and Amy told me her husband died some years ago. She's a fine lookin' woman and I'm surprised she's still a widow."

"Well it ain't for want of tryin'. You'd better watch your step with Amy." Jess recovered his handkerchief from Daisy's grasp and waved her away. She rolled her eyes in exasperation but sat down again.

"Well it certainly looks as if you've gained a lot of allies in the Women's Group Evie." Putting an arm around his daughter's shoulders, William gave her a hug. "Are you sure you're OK? If you want to return to the hotel I'll go back with you when Slim and Frank have tracked down those two boys."

At the sound of the concern in her father's voice, Evie gave a little laugh. "Oh Pa! There's no need for that. I was just worried about Ben but I'm fine now. I didn't come to any harm at all. It just wasn't very pleasant, and I don't understand why he confronted us like that."

William gave an exasperated grunt. "Who knows what's goin' through that boy's head. I'm sorry you got caught up in this Jess. It's really not your problem. Zeke seems to be courtin' all this attention deliberately but as to why, I have no idea."

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The boys hadn't seen the fight between Zeke and Jess, but they'd heard enough to be aware of the cause of it. A few of the boys had been summoned away and taken off home by their parents but several of them remained and they'd found a quiet spot where they could discuss it.

Ben sat on the edge of a large wooden chest which held the unsold goods brought by the members of the women's group. The other boys ranged themselves around him. "He said some real bad things about Ma. The kids at school used to say bad things too. But it wasn't Ma's fault."

Jack Bennett was older than the other boys and he'd already been given a talk on the subject of the birds and the bees by his father. He was feeling a little guilty for telling Ben what his father had heard in the saloon. "Ben… what your Pa did… it ain't somethin' any decent man does. It's no fault of yours. I guess your Pa just ain't any too decent but it don't matter what he or anyone else back in Texas said about your Ma, there's no shame on her. You know that don't ya?"

Ben responded angrily. "I know that Jack! Ma didn't have no choice in the matter. I told ya he was a bad man. I should have warned her about him bein' here. D'ya reckon he's gonna take me away?"

The boys gathered around their new friend and Mike put a comforting hand on Ben's shoulder as he'd seen Slim do with Jess on occasion. "Jess and Slim'll look after you Ben, and Sheriff Cory will too. They'll see he stays away from you. Mort's a real good friend of ours and he'll lock your Pa up so's he can't get to you or your Ma."

Jack Bennett was determined no harm was going to come to his new young friend. "You listen to Mike, and don't you worry none Ben. We're all on your side. We'll look after you too. Your Pa isn't gonna take you while we're around."

"Howdy there, boys!" Mike swung around at the sound of Slim's voice.

"Hi Slim." He called out as he saw him approaching with Frank.

"We've been lookin' for you all over." Frank told them. "Why've you been hidin' out."

"We're not hidin' out. We've just been talkin' and havin' some fun." Mike sounded a little defensive.

Slim noted the sober looks on the boy's faces. "You don't look as if you're havin' too much fun right now. Is there somethin' wrong?"

There was a slight shuffling of feet and an exchange of looks amongst them.

Frank exchanged a look with Slim and went straight to the point. "You saw the fight Jess had with Ben's Pa, didn't you?"

"He ain't my Pa! I hate him!" Ben slammed his small fists down on the top of the box. "I know what he did to Ma and I won't go with him. I won't!"

"Whoa there, young fella. Who says you have to go with him?" Frank sat down next to Ben and wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders. "You won't ever have to go with him Ben. He can't claim you, son. He gave up that right when he hurt your Ma."

"It's my fault Jess had to fight him… I knew he'd found us. Jack told us he was in Laramie. I should've found Ma and told her." Ben leaned miserably against his uncle as Jack Bennett stepped forward.

"We didn't actually see the fight Mr Emerson. But we heard everythin' Ben's Pa and Jess said, and we heard everyone talkin' about it." He looked a little sheepish but he continued staunchly. "I told Ben this mornin' what his Pa said in the saloon. I heard my Pa tellin' my Ma but I guess I should've kept quiet about it. I didn't tell Ben what his Pa did though. I'd never have done that."

Smiling, Frank gave Jack's shoulder a squeeze. "That's OK Jack. Thanks for tellin' me son."

Easing Ben a little away from him, Frank lifted the boy's chin with this finger. "What happened tonight wasn't your fault Ben. We already knew your Pa was in Laramie but we didn't tell you because we didn't want to worry you. Who was it told you about what he did?"

Ben looked down. "Someone at the school back home in Texas."

"I figured you were bound to find out about it some time, but I kinda hoped you'd be a little older before you did. Who was it, Ben?"

Ben was silent for a few minutes but then he looked up at Frank. "I used to hear folk talkin' about Ma, and the kids at school said she'd done somethin' real wicked. I knew that wasn't true, 'cos Ma told meit was Paas did somethin' bad and she wouldn't lie to me. They was all laughin' about it one day and Joe Carter heard 'em. Joe used to help out Miss Jackson. He's a lot older'n all the other kids at school and he was always real nice to me. Joe explained it all. Well… kinda. He told me Ma wasn't to blame for any of it and he said it didn't make me bad either. He said it was my Pa as was to blame."

"And that's exactly right Ben. Have you got any questions about it?" Frank wanted to know just how much Ben really understood about what Zeke had done.

Looking up at his uncle, Ben frowned. "Well, I didn't understand everythin' Joe told me. But… Uncle Frank…? Will I have to kiss girls an' do all that stuff when I grow up?"

Slim smothered a smile as Frank exchanged a look with him. "I don't know what Joe told you Ben, so I'm not quite sure what "all that stuff" means. You don't have to worry about girls for a lot of years though. There'll come a time in your life when it don't sound as bad as it does now but that's a long ways off yet. I'll explain it all if you like but if I were you, I'd forget about it for now."

Ben nodded looking a lot more cheerful. "Thanks Uncle Frank, I think I will." He grinned suddenly. "Mike and Jack and the other boys have been lookin' after me real good." Ben indicated the group of boys. "They're all my friends. I've never had so many friends. Uncle Frank…? Is Danny gonna be comin' to Laramie to see us? I miss him."

"He will Ben. As soon as his replacement arrives, and I reckon that should be pretty soon." Frank ruffled the boy's hair. "Now why don't you come on over and see your Ma. She's been kinda worried about you since the fight."

Slim pulled Mike toward him in a brief hug. "You too Mike. We haven't seen hide nor hair of you both since all the contests finished. It's gettin' kinda late and I reckon it's time we all had supper."

"Sure Slim." Mike turned to his friends. "We'd better go fellas. I'm kinda hungry too. How about you Ben?"

Ben slid from off the top of the box. "Yeah… I guess."

Ben's new friends gathered around him to say their goodbyes. "Hope to see ya before school starts again Ben." Jack Bennett told him. "You take care now. Mike'll look after you and if you got any trouble you just let us know, ya hear?"

Frank turned to the boys. "Thanks for lookin' after Ben. You boys proved yourselves real friends today. What do you say to comin' over to our place sometime. Ben can show you round and you can all get together over cookies and milk."

"Slim? Could they all come over to our place next week?" Mike looked round at his friends to get their confirmatory nods. "Is that OK? Maybe Mr. Emerson can bring Ben over?"

Slim shrugged. "Sure Mike. I don't see why not. That OK with you Frank?"

Ben turned eager eyes up to his uncle who nodded. "I'm sure Evie won't have a problem with it. Probably be glad to get this young shaver out of her sight for a few hours."

"All right with you boys?" Slim knew the answer by the eager expressions on the various faces. "You be sure and check with your parents that it's OK."

Jack spoke up for his friends. "We'll do that Mr. Sherman. We'll look forward to seein' ya next week Mike. You too Ben."

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Zeke was deep in conversation with Billy and Pete at a table in Ben Dooley's when Ethan Judd walked over and put his half empty whisky glass on the table. He looked down at Zeke. "Looks like you had a little trouble over at the dance.

Zeke looked up. "Yeah… ain't that a fact."

"Anythin' I can do to help?"

"Come and join us Ethan. You might be the man we need at that." Ethan dragged over a chair and sat down. Zeke leaned across and topped up the half empty glass from the bottle on the table. "Let me ask ya somethin' Ethan? When we first met you were sayin' as how you weren't too fond of Jess Harper. Am I right?"

Ethan's eyes narrowed as he regarded Zeke. "Yeah… You got that right. What've you got in mind?"

Taking a sip of his drink, Zeke looked around the bar and leaned across the table lowering his voice conspiratorially before replying. "I need to have a talk with Evie without Harper gettin' in my hair. Now, I reckon I can keep him outta the way but I need to know which of the horses in the livery belongs to him."

"That ain't no problem. I could pick that horse out of a hundred like him. Harper's horse really had it in for me. Took an instant dislike to me, just like his rider. I got bit a few times before Harper got me the push." Ethan considered for a moment. "It's a bay; smaller than Sherman's horse but solid and about as ornery as they come."

Zeke topped up the glasses around the table. "Could you pick out his saddle too?"

Ethan nodded as he picked up his glass. "No problem there. Harper's got hisself a real pretty saddle and he's got his initials on the fender."

"Let's finish off the rest of this whiskey then and we'll take a walk over to the livery."

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Cal sat on a hay bale nodding over a mug of hot coffee and wishing it was a cold beer. He looked up as the large wooden door of the livery slid noisily open and four men walked in. The old man stood up as they walked over to him. He knew who Ethan was and he recognised the other three as having left their horses in the livery from time to time over the last few weeks. He nodded a greeting to them. "Evenin' fellas… what can I do for ya?"

"Evenin' friend" Zeke greeted him. "It's a hot night. Too hot for that coffee surely. You oughta be over at the saloon havin' a cold beer."

Cal was in complete agreement with this sensible comment "That's right enough mister but I can't leave my horses. More'n my job's worth to do that. Why, anyone could come in here an' mess with 'em."

"I guess you cain't at that." Zeke wandered over to pet his horse. "Hal, ain't it?" He called over.

"Cal… I'm Cal. Hal's our blacksmith." Cal waited to hear what Zeke had to say.

"Cal…" Zeke looked around. "Where d'ya put my saddle?"

Surprised, Cal pointed at the well-polished saddle hung over the side of the stall Zeke's horse was in. "Why, that's yourn… right over there. Same place it was t'other day when you took yer horse out. I always put 'em on the left-hand side of the stall the horse is in. They'd get a mite mixed up otherwise."

"Reckon I should've known that. Makes sense after all." Zeke made a show of checking his saddle and turned back to the old man. "Tell ya what Cal… Me and my friends like to spend a bit of time with our horses before we turn in for the night. What say we look after the livery for ya while you go get yourself a beer or two. Take yer time. There ain't no hurry."

Giving a nervous look around in case they were overheard, Cal considered the offer. "Well… I don't know as I ought. I ain't supposed to leave anyone I don't know in charge of the livery."

"Aw, come on Cal…" Zeke said. "We've been in town a good few days now and we're customers. You cain't hardly say you don't know us, now can ya?"

Cal thought that a man who wanted to spend some time with his horse must be OK. Persuaded by the friendly attitude of the men and the promise of a cold beer, he yielded. "I reckon so. That's real good of you mister." He turned to go but Zeke called him back.

"Hold on there Cal…" Zeke tossed a coin and Cal caught it, surprised. "You done a real good job of lookin' after our horses and it's much appreciated. Why don't ya have a drink or two on us."

"Thanks mister. That's mighty kind of you." Cal pocketed the coin and shuffled off to the saloon while Zeke gathered the other men around him.

"He drew a leather tobacco pouch out of his vest pocket. OK Ethan, you just point out which saddle belongs to Harper and we'll take care of the rest. Billy…? Where'd ya see that little lady you was tellin' me about?"

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When Frank repeated his conversation with Ben to Evie, she was at first shocked to find out how much her young son knew, but the shock gave way to worry that Ben might think she hadn't wanted him. She took the opportunity to question Frank while Ben was engrossed in some tricks he and Mike were learning from Slim and Jess about building the loop of a lasso.

"Evie, the only thing Ben really understands about any of this is that Zeke did somethin' to hurt you. He don't really know the ins and outs of it." Frank glanced over at the subject of their conversation who was giggling uncontrollably as the loop he was trying to build got tangled up with his feet, tripping him. "Look at him Evie… He's just a little kid havin' fun. He knows Zeke's his father and he knows it shouldn't have happened the way it did but that's all he knows, apart from the fact that we all love him."

As he watched his grandson struggling to copy what Slim was showing him, William gave his daughter a little nudge. "Come on Evie… Quit worryin'. Frank's right. Ben's happy enough. If you try and talk to him about any of this he'll just get confused."

Smiling at the sight of her young son having so much fun, Evie sighed. "I guess you're right. What do you think Daisy?"

"I'm certain that Ben has never felt the need to question whether he was wanted. He's going to start putting two and two together in another five years or so and then he'll be asking you all sorts of questions about the birds and the bees but until he does I don't think you need worry. It's obvious to me that despite his father, Ben is a secure and happy child." Daisy opened the case of the little watch that hung around her neck on a chain and checked the time. "Now how about we all go over to Molly's and get something to eat. Those boys will be falling asleep in their supper if we leave it any longer."

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By the time the meal was over, Ben had fallen asleep leaning against Evie, and Mike was trying hard to keep his eyes open. Daisy offered to take both boys back to the hotel while the others returned to the dance but after all that had happened earlier, everyone was quite happy to call it a day. Carrying his still-sleeping grandson, William walked back to the hotel with Daisy and Evie to help get the boys settled in bed while the three younger men went over to the livery stable to check on their horses.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9 – A Night to Remember

As Jess neared the livery stable, he noticed the door was standing wide open. "Cal must be feelin' the heat. He don't ever leave the door open this time of night."

They walked cautiously in through the open door and looked around, but the livery stable appeared to be deserted apart from the horses. Slim frowned. "I wonder where he's got to?"

Frank didn't like the idea of the horses being left unattended but he was sure there'd be a simple explanation. "Maybe he just went out for some supper."

Noting how dim the light was by Cal's table and chair and how brightly the livery was lit further along the stalls, Jess frowned. "I don't reckon that's it Frank. Cal ain't supposed to leave the livery unattended and he's pretty reliable. He usually has his supper sent over."

"You're right Jess. Cal wouldn't have gone for supper or even sent out for a beer if he didn't have someone to cover for him." Slim looked down at the battered-looking playing cards set out on the table. "He was in the middle of a card game so why would he move the lantern away from the table."

"Looks like he had company." Frank observed. "There're two hands on the table."

Jess shook his head. "No… I reckon he was on his own. Ole Cal always plays stud against himself when he's on duty. He told me he gets two chances of winnin' that way and he always keeps that lantern right here where he sits, unless he's checkin' on the horses." Jess wandered along the line of stalls looking over the horses until he came to where their own mounts were accommodated right under the circle of light thrown by the lantern. "It's turned up real high. Everythin' seems to be OK, but I just got a feelin' somethin' ain't right."

Frank stopped to check on his grey but Slim carried on, examining each of the stalls and receiving various snorts and nickers of greeting from the horses stabled there before turning to look back down the row. "Nothin' out of place at all, except for that lantern. Maybe Cal was just takin' a look at all the horses and got called away."

"Maybe… in that case I reckon he oughta be back pretty soon. I just can't shake off that feelin' though." Jess felt around in his vest pocket and pulled out one of the sugar lumps he'd filched from Molly's cafe, offering it to Traveller on the palm of his hand. Traveller gave a low nicker of welcome and lipped eagerly at the treat. "I guess you been waitin' on that all night, haven't ya fella?" Jess stroked Trav's mane as he crunched on the sugar lump and searched around for more, nuzzling against Jess's vest. "Sorry fella. The other one's for Alamo and he won't be too pleased if I give it to you."

Jess gave Alamo his treat before Slim returned from the other end of the stable and after spending a little more time with their horses, the three men walked over to where the buckboard team was stalled. Jess took a quick look over the horses and gave them both their customary sugar lump. "Cal still ain't back. I don't like leavin' the livery unattended like this. I'm gonna go look for him. Are you two comin? If Cal's gone for a beer he'll probably be in the Stockman's Palace. I wouldn't mind a beer myself before turnin' in and if he's there we can send him back to do his job."

"I guess I'll go along with that" Slim gave a farewell pat on the rump to one of the sturdy horses. "How about you Frank? You gonna join us?"

"Yeah… count me in. A beer sounds good to me too."

Slim indicated the door to the livery. "Lead the way Jess."

Jess walked back down the line of stalls and the two other men followed, waiting while Jess gave a last stroke to Traveller's soft muzzle. As Jess turned to leave Slim reached up to lift the lantern down and noticed a leather pouch hanging on Jess's saddle horn. "Hold on there, Jess!" Jess looked back as Slim lifted the pouch from the saddle horn and held it out. "This isn't yours, is it?"

Jess looked at the pouch in surprise and shook his head. "Nah… it ain't mine." He took the pouch Slim was holding out and examined it under the light of the lantern. "Looks like a tobacco pouch." He sniffed at it. "Smells like a tobacco pouch. I ain't ever seen it before. I wonder why it's been left on my saddle?"

Slim looked over Jess's shoulder at the pouch. "Maybe someone put it there by mistake. Is there anythin' in there that might give us a clue about who it belongs to?"

Frank was as curious about the pouch as the other two men. "I can't see it bein' a mistake. I suppose if the light wasn't too good it could've been but that lantern's turned up so high it's almost daylight in here. Why don't you have a look see Jess?" He joined Slim in peering over Jess's shoulder at the pouch.

Jess hefted the bag in his hand. "It's light. Don't feel like there's anythin' in it." The drawstring was tied in a tight knot and Jess loosened it with some difficulty. He looked inside the pouch. "No tobacco… but there's a piece of paper in here… maybe someone wanted to leave me a note. Seems a strange way of goin' about it… Maybe it's a bill of sale or somethin'. Might have a name on it." He slipped his fingers into the pouch to draw out the piece of paper.

"Ow!" Jess pulled his hand sharply away from the pouch and studied his index finger. "There's somethin' sharp in there. Must be a pin or a tack or somethin'." He put his fingers in again and felt around carefully, looking for the offending object and gave another yelp. "Darn it! What the heck _is_ that?" He drew out the paper carefully and unfolding it, found it to be part of a scribbled note but there was no name and the writing was illegible. Something tickled the back of his hand and he glanced down. Jess flung down the pouch with an exclamation of revulsion and stepped hurriedly back, shaking his hand and crashing into Slim and Frank who were standing right behind him.

"Aw hell…" Jess brushed franticly at his clothes.

"Take it easy Jess!" Slim grabbed at the stall to regain his balance. "What the heck's up with you?"

"That weren't a tack Slim. It was a spider and it looked a hell of a lot like a black widow…" He looked at Slim, a worried expression on his face. "I reckon it was a female. I didn't get a real good look but it was about the right size. I sure riled her up some." He nudged the pouch with the toe of his boot but nothing emerged. Looking around the area he couldn't see the spider. "I must've shook her off into the corner."

Frank took the lantern off the hook. "This is just the sort of place they like to call home butI never heard of one makin' herself a nest in a tobacco pouch before, let alone tyin' herself in with a knot." He looked carefully around the area where Jess had dropped the pouch, poking gingerly at the straw with his boot. He took a sudden step forward and stamped down on a patch of straw. "If that was a black widow I think we should get Jess over to the hotel and send for the doctor." He held the lantern up as Slim crouched down to examine the small, flattened spider.

Slim looked up. "It was a black widow all right but it's hard to tell whether it was a female or not. You flattened it real good Frank." Slim got to his feet and grabbed hold of the hand Jess was nursing. Pulling him closer to the lantern that Frank was holding up, he studied Jess's fingers "You got two bites Jess. Look there, you can see the fang marks in the middle of each of those red patches." Jess and Frank peered at the fingers Slim was studying. "See…? Those two pairs of tiny little red spots? Have you been bitten by one of these things before Jess?"

Jess gave Slim a look of dread. "Yeah… I got bit once durin' the war. I was real sick for about three days and I didn't feel any too good for about three days after that. If this is anythin' like the last time I reckon I got about 15 or 20 minutes before it starts to hit me. I gotta get over to Doc Ellis, Slim."

Frank hung the lantern up over the stall again and took a good look at Jess. He thought his friend was looking a bit pale but whether it was the effect of the bites or Jess's fear of what he might be in for he wasn't too sure. "We need to have the doctor look you over but don't you think you'd be more comfortable in a hotel bed than on a hard couch in a doctor's surgery?"

"Yeah Frank… I reckon I would but ole Robison won't be too happy about me bein' at the hotel. Last time I got bit I sweated enough to flood a dried-up creek bed. I'd better just get over to the Doc's."

Slim gave his partner one of his disapproving looks. "Doc's couch is none too comfortable for anythin' but a temporary stay Jess. If you reacted badly before, it's pretty certain you will again. I'm gettin' you over to the hotel and into bed. You're white as a sheet already."

Frank was looking thoughtful. "I don't know where the Doc's surgery is Slim. Why don't I go back to the hotel with Jess while you fetch the Doc?"

Slim nodded. "All right Frank. I'll let Mort know about this on my way back too."

Frank slid a supportive arm around Jess's waist. "Come on Jess, let's get you to the hotel."

Jess shrugged Frank's arm away. "I'm OK Frank. I can make it fine by myself."

Slim took hold of Jess's arm and steered him toward the livery door. "Now is not the time to get all ornery on us Jess. Don't waste time arguin', just get over to the hotel while you _can_ still make it by yourself."

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Doctor Ellis's wife Marjorie opened the door to Slim's insistent knocking.

"Why Slim…! What is it?" Marjorie asked, slightly alarmed by the young man's anxious expression.

"It's Jess… He's been bitten by a spider. A black widow. Female we think. Is Doc there?"

Marjorie Ellis hid her concern under the calm exterior she reserved for the more urgent cases. "I'm afraid he's with another patient at the moment Slim. He's just stitching up a very deep gash and I'm not sure when he'll be free. How long ago was Jess bitten and where was the bite?"

Slim hesitated a second or two as he thought back. "Must be around 15 minutes ago." Slim remembered Jess's comment about how long he had before it started to hit him. _And I figure Jess'll be feelin' the effects of it right about now_. "He got bitten twice on his fingers. He told me he'd been bitten before and he was pretty sick that time. He's over at the hotel. Could you ask Doc if there's anythin' we ought to do while we wait for him? Daisy's there but I'm not sure if she's dealt with anythin' like this before. I haven't."

"Wait here a moment Slim. I'll be as quick as I can." Marjorie tapped lightly on the surgery door and went in, closing the door behind her. Slim heard the low rumble of Doc's voice and Marjorie's lighter tones in response and after several minutes Marjorie returned carrying two large folded yellow sheets that looked to be made of the same fabric as Slim's rain slicker.

"Doctor Ellis said he'd do his best to speed things up but he can't leave his present patient until he's finished stitching. Hopefully he'll only be another twenty minutes or so."

Slim looked at her quizzically as she handed him the two large sheets.

"You need to put one of these sheets over the bed to protect it. Keep the other as a spare. Put a couple of large towels or sheets over the top of the waterproof and be prepared to change them frequently. Jess will probably sweat profusely and Mr. Robison won't be too happy if one of his precious mattresses gets soaked. Have a word with Dierdre Robison. I'm sure she'll get you some spare towels and sheets. Keep Jess as quiet as possible, get him to drink plenty of water and don't leave him on his own. He's going to need all the support you can give him. Oh… wash the area of the bites with soap and water and keep his hand elevated if you can. You must expect chills and fever. The muscle pain from these bites usually affects the entire body but he's likely to have painful cramping too. It's usually just in the area of the bites at first but it will spread to his upper body."

Marjorie squeezed Slim's hand as she saw the worried expression on his face. "It sounds bad I know but that's probably the worst scenario. It's usually only the sick, young children or the elderly that don't make it through, and many people have hardly any symptoms at all. Doctor Ellis said it depends on how much venom the spider injects into the wound. Jess is young too and strong and that's in his favour. I'm sure he'll be fine. I hope so… but it could still be a very unpleasant night for him."

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It had been Slim's intention to tell Mort about what had happened but the jailhouse was in darkness when he passed it. When he got back to the hotel Jess was laying restlessly on the bed in Daisy's room, with the covers pulled down toward the end of the bed. Daisy sat by the bed bathing Jess's right hand in a bowl of hot soapy water while William hovered nearby looking concerned and feeling more than a little useless.

Slim looked anxiously over at his partner and spoke quietly to William not wanting to disturb Jess. "I thought I'd see Mort about this on the way back from Doc's surgery but there wasn't anyone over at the jail. How is he?"

William shook his head despondently. "Frank said you weren't sure whether it was a female that bit him but I'm afraid it must've been. He isn't too good right now. Why didn't you bring the doctor back with you?"

"Doc Ellis was halfway through stitchin' up a patient but I spoke to his wife." Slim moved over to the bed and Daisy looked up as she finished bathing Jess's hand and dried it off.

"Try and keep that hand raised for a while Jess." Daisy rose from the chair and picking up the bowl of soapy water, she ushered Slim away from the bed handing the bowl to William. "Could you dispose of that for me William? Deirdre's kitchen is on the ground floor. Just go through the door behind the reception desk. She won't mind." William took the bowl away only too pleased to help in some way.

Daisy looked worriedly over at the bed. "Jess is feeling very ill already. The symptoms have come on quickly and I think he might be in for a very bad night." Daisy eyed the bundle Slim was clutching. "Are those waterproof sheets?"

Slim nodded and deposited the sheets into Daisy's outstretched arms. "Marjorie Ellis gave them to me. Doc's busy stitchin' up a patient but he said he'd be over as soon as he could. Marjorie said Jess'd be sweatin' a lot and we'd need one of those sheets to protect the mattress. She gave me a spare in case we needed it. Is it really gonna be that bad Daisy? Couldn't we just put an extra sheet over the mattress?"

"Once Jess starts to sweat it won't matter how many sheets we put over the mattress, they'll be soaked through in no time." Daisy put the sheets down on a chair in the corner of the room. "I've seen a few cases of black widow bite and I know what to expect. They don't always affect people that badly but I'm afraid that isn't going to be the case with Jess. Thankfully, the sweating hasn't started yet but I don't think it'll be much longer."

William returned from the kitchen and replaced the emptied bowl on the nightstand. "Is there anythin' else I can do?"

"Well we were just talking about getting one of these waterproof sheets under Jess to protect the mattress." Daisy picked up one of the sheets. "It would be a real help if you and Slim could give me a hand to get this on the bed."

Slim went over to where Jess lay and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey pard, Doc'll be here soon but we need to cover the bed with a waterproof sheet. Are you feelin' up to sittin' in the chair for a few minutes.?"

Jess had closed his eyes tightly against the nausea he was experiencing but at the sound of Slim's voice he opened them. "Yeah… Give me a hand will ya?" He struggled to a sitting position.

Daisy bustled quickly over with the waterproof sheet. "We won't be more than a minute or two Jess."

With Slim's assistance, Jess pulled himself to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, pausing for a few minutes to get the nausea under control. He shifted unsteadily over to the chair and sat with his eyes and mouth tightly closed.

"You OK pard?" Jess's pallor had changed to a sickly grey.

Jess swallowed hard and opened his eyes. "I'll make it." He eyed the bowl on the nightstand. "Better keep that bowl handy though. I reckon I might just need it."

Daisy finished smoothing down the linen sheet she'd laid over the waterproof with William's help. "All right Jess, back onto that bed with you."

Rejecting Slim's help this time, Jess shifted back onto the bed and sank gratefully down, rolling over onto his back. He looked pale and drained. Daisy touched the back of her hand to his forehead. "Keep your hand raised a little longer if you can Jess."

Slim sat down beside the bed as Jess as obediently bent his arm at the elbow, and raised his hand in the air. "I'm sorry about the waterproof sheet Jess but Marjorie Ellis said we'd need to do it."

Jess shook his head. "Ain't nothin' to be sorry about Slim. She's right… you'll be glad of it before the night gets much older. I'll bet Robison ain't too happy about this."

"You leave Robison to me Jess. That reminds me… Daisy, Marjorie said to see Deirdre Robison and try to get some spare sheets and towels."

"That's already taken care of Slim." Daisy called from the other side of the room. "There's some extra bedding and towels in the adjoining room. Deirdre was only too willing to help and poor Mr Robison never got a chance to open his mouth to complain."

Getting up from his seat on the edge of the bed, Slim looked into the adjoining room. "Where's Mike…? I thought he was sleepin' in there, Daisy?"

Smoothing down the apron borrowed from Deirdre Robison, Daisy shook her head. "That was the plan but Mike is with Ben in the room adjoining Evie's. She's with the boys now but she'll be over once they're asleep. We thought we could take it in turns to get some sleep in Evie's room and then there would always be someone there in case the boys wake up. I thought it best to keep Mike out of the way. Once the cramps get started Jess isn't going to be too quiet and it would be far too upsetting for Mike to hear him. We have all the rooms on this side of the hallway and Evie's room is right at the end. Hopefully, we won't disturb the boys or any of the other guests. I think Doctor Ellis will want to stay here with Jess tonight and he can always take a rest in the next room."

A muscle twitched in Slim's jaw. This was sounding worse by the minute.

Daisy went back over to the bed. "Slim, if you and William will help Jess to get undressed and under the covers I'm sure he'll be more comfortable."

Jess muttered indignantly from the bed. "I don't need no help gettin' undressed."

Daisy ignored him. "You'll need to remove his underwear too."

Jess gave an indignant gasp and lowered his hand. "What? Aw Daisy… can't I even keep my underwear on?"

"I'm sorry Jess but you'll be far too uncomfortable, dear. You've been through this before. You know it'll just get soaked once you start to sweat and it'll be so much more difficult to remove when it's wet through."

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Jess resigned himself to the inevitable.

He looked so much like a sulking little boy that Daisy had to smother a laugh. She exchanged an amused glance with Slim. "Don't worry Jess. Evie and I will be sure to keep you covered and preserve your modesty." She moved away to the other side of the room knowing the young man would be embarrassed by her presence.

The door to the room opened and Frank came in with a large jug of iced water. He put it down on the table in the centre of the room. "Sorry I took my time Daisy. Mrs Robison insisted on gettin' some ice. She's bringin' up a bowl of cold water and some cloths in a few minutes."

"That's kind of her. We're going to need it. Jess is likely to be suffering from chills _and_ fever at some point during the night. Has he finished undressing yet, William?"

"Just a few minutes more…" Slim grabbed up Jess's discarded undershorts and William pulled the covers quickly up over the now-naked young man. "OK Daisy, he's decent now."

"Well, how come I don't feel decent." Jess muttered darkly. "Ain't even got a nightshirt."

"You seem to have forgotten that you hate nightshirts Jess and you don't even own one. Anyway, we'd only have to keep changing that too." Daisy poured out a glass of water and took it over to the bedside. "Here, drink as much of this as you can."

Jess lay propped up against the pillows, exhausted by the process of stripping off his clothes. He glared at the glass of water and shook his head. "I can't Daisy… Not right now…"

Slim took the glass of water from Daisy and pulling a chair up beside the bed he sat down. "Come on Jess… You need to try and drink at least some of this. I know you don't feel you can keep it down but Marjorie said it's important that you drink plenty of water."

Taking the glass in his trembling left hand, Jess took a few sips of water before swallowing hard and handing the glass back. "I can't drink any more Slim…" He leaned his head back on the pillows, closing his eyes again.

Daisy placed the bowl from the night stand on the floor beside the chair Slim sat in. "Just in case…" she whispered quietly to Slim.

"I know I gotta drink Slim but I'm feelin' real sick right now and the pain's startin' to spread just about all over." Jess turned on his side and curled up miserably, shivering slightly. "Startin' to get cramps too." He was silent for several minutes while he fought a wave of nausea. "I gotta tell ya Slim, I'm real scared. That time I got bit before is why I hate spiders like I do. I thought I was gonna die. I got bit on the back of my hand and the pain was somethin' fierce. I got cramps all over, in my stomach too. I was sick as a horse, I sweated so much I soaked just about every bit of beddin' they could find for me, and I had trouble breathin' too. That was almost the worst thing of all. The pain in my chest got so bad I could hardly draw breath. I'd rather take a bullet any day."

It was totally unlike Jess to be so honest about how he was feeling. Slim placed the glass of water on the bedside table, searching in his mind for some words of comfort. "You know Jess… You probably weren't in good shape durin' the war. We all suffered one way or another. Not enough food to go round and what we did get was mostly bad… we were frozen and soaked in the middle of winter and exhausted from fightin' and lack of sleep." He pushed away the memory of those dark days. "You gotta be in better shape now than you were then so maybe it won't be as bad this time. I heard it's usually only kids, old people and the sick that have a real bad time."

Another cramp seized Jess and he screwed his face up at the pain. After a few minutes he looked up at his worried friend. "Yeah… You could be right Slim. I sure hope you are but I got bit twice this time and I reckon I got twice the trouble comin'."

William had retreated quietly to the other side of the room waiting for the chance to do something to help. Now he got up and drew Frank over to the door. "I can't just sit here like this Frank. If it wasn't for us, Jess wouldn't be in this fix. Someone set this up deliberately and I reckon we know who it was. The Sheriff's office was locked up when Slim came back from the Doc's. I'm goin' over to see if he's back yet. Maybe he can hold Zeke on suspicion."

"I'll come with you Pa."

"No Frank, you stay here and help Slim and Daisy as much as you can until I get back."

Frank nodded. "All right. You know Pa… I doubt Mort can hold Zeke on anythin' without evidence but maybe he can track down the old boy from the livery. He wasn't there when this happened but he might've seen someone earlier. Come to think of it, if he did see someone he could be in trouble right now. Best you let the Sheriff know about that too. I'll do what I can here."

William squeezed his arm and went quietly out the door. Frank heard him talking to someone and a few minutes later the door opened to admit a concerned looking Doc Ellis. Doc crossed quickly over to the bed and studied his patient for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting Jess. I had to finish stitching up just one more idiot to add to all the others I've had to see to today. Now, how on earth did you manage to get yourself bitten by a black widow? They're usually quite docile creatures. Shy and retiring in fact… You must have really upset her."

Slim got up and moved the chair away to allow Doc Ellis room on both sides of the bed. "He sure did Doc. Even managed to get himself bitten twice."

Doc tutted as he removed his hat and placed it on the nearby table with his medical bag. "I suppose I should have expected something like that from you Jess. I've never known you do anything by halves."

As the pain and nausea he was experiencing increased, Jess found himself starting to shiver uncontrollably. He turned onto his back to face Doc Ellis. "S-sorry Doc. I guess I've j-just made your n-night, huh?"

Doc Ellis sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's not your fault Jess. Now… which hand is it?"

"Right hand Doc… I g-got bit on two of my f-fingers. Someone s-slipped that dadgum spider into a leather pouch and left it hangin' over my s-saddle horn. I reckon she was already a m-mite put out before I s-stuck my hand in there." Jess's worried frown deepened. "Doc… I've been b-bit before and I didn't react t-too good."

Noting Jess's increasing discomfort, Doc Ellis called over to Daisy for another blanket and tucked it carefully around his patient. He checked his watch and then looked over at Slim. "So… Jess was bitten about an hour ago? Is that right Slim?"

"About that Doc." Slim concurred. "Add maybe another fifteen minutes to that."

Nodding, Doc Ellis turned his attention back to Jess. "How old were you the first time you got bitten Jess?"

"About 17 Doc. I was f-fightin' in the war…"

"Well that could explain the bad reaction. I don't suppose you were in as good shape physically as you are now.

Jess was encouraged by hearing Doc Ellis confirm Slim's comment but he was still anxious. "That's w-what Slim s-said… but I got b-bit twice this time, Doc."

Doc Ellis kept his thoughts about that to himself. No sense in making Jess any more anxious than he already was. "So how did you manage to get yourself bitten the first time Jess?"

"I was holed up in an old b-barn with a few m-men from my unit and I upset a female b-black widow. I didn't s-see the web and I m-mussed it up some spreadin' out my bedroll. She w-weren't none too happy about it and n-neither was I after she b-bit me."

Doc shook his head. "Never upset a female if you can help it Jess. Especially not a female black widow. Dry old barns and wood piles are typical places for those creatures. All right then… Let's have a look at the damage." He took hold of Jess's right hand holding it steady against the violent shivering. He turned it palm up and began to examine Jess's fingers. Both bites were surrounded by a circle of red and swollen skin and the pairs of tiny fang marks were still visible in the centre of each circle. Curiously, the skin within the circles was already sweating, beading up like condensation on the surface of cold glass. "Hmmm… Strange effect that." The old doctor studied Jess's pale face and then he touched the back of his hand to his forehead. "You seem to be a little feverish already Jess but the sweating is still limited to the immediate area of the bites. Are you feeling any anxiety?" Jess nodded. "Well I guess it's only natural to be feeling anxious in this situation especially when you know what to expect but I'm afraid anxiety is another symptom of a black widow bite. Just try and stay calm if you can."

If Jess hadn't been feeling so ill, he would've laughed. _Try and stay calm…? Hell, I'd like to see Doc stay calm if it was him got bit._

Removing his stethoscope from his bag Doc Ellis began to check Jess's vital signs, chatting all the while to ease his patient's stress. "I read an interesting article on black widow bites not too long ago and I've treated a few in my time. I'm afraid there is not much that can be done to ease the unpleasant effects of the spider venom. It's very much a case of letting it take its course." Doc Ellis glanced at the nearly full glass of water on the bedside table. "There is one thing we can do though and that is to make sure you drink plenty of water and it isn't going to be a bit of help to you if it stays in the glass. You're going to have excessive sweating and pretty soon I'd say – but I suppose you already know about that and you should know too, Jess, that you cannot afford to get dehydrated." He reached for the glass and held it out, steadying the glass as Jess took it reluctantly in a shaking hand, forcing down a few sips. Doc nodded approvingly "That's better, young man… You don't have to drink it all down at once. Just keep taking sips whenever you can and when you do get sick, the chances are some of that water will have already been absorbed into your bloodstream. It is quite possible that having survived being bitten before, your body may have some immunity to the venom. Hopefully that will be the case but we'll just have to take it as it comes." Doc Ellis put away his stethoscope and turned his attention back to his patient. "All right Jess… Now where are these cramps you've been having, how frequent are they and how long is it taking them to peak before they begin to subside?"

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Zeke and the two Yates brothers saddled up their horses and led them from the livery stable. They rode out of town, leaving Ethan to keep an eye on any developments. Ethan's own horse was hitched outside the saloon as usual and stood hipshot as he waited for his rider.

Ethan sat on an old wooden chair on the boardwalk outside the saloon, a glass of beer in his hand, ostensibly enjoying the night air. After a 15-minute wait, he saw Jess and his friends leave Molly's café and stand talking in the street for a few minutes. The two women and Mike crossed over the street and went back to the hotel accompanied by William Emerson carrying Zeke's son. For a moment Ethan thought the other three men were on their way to the saloon but he smiled to himself as they turned and strolled down the street in the direction of the livery stable. Jess always did like to go see his horse before retiring for the night. Ethan rocked slowly back and forth in his chair on the boardwalk and hoped the light in the livery stable was bright enough for one of them to notice the leather pouch hanging on Jess's saddle horn. They'd made sure the lantern would illuminate just the right spot and then turned it up to ensure it would be burning brightly if, and hopefully when, Jess checked on his beloved horse.

To Ethan's mind things were beginning to pan out very nicely. Cal hadn't left the saloon yet and the old boy hadn't noticed him pay for his beer and head back out the swing doors. Cal was getting old and Ethan thought he probably overestimated his ability to hold his drink or to reckon on the length of time he'd spent in the saloon. His smile widened. _All the better… It'd just be the old boy's word against theirs and no one'd be able to prove a thing_.

After keeping his eyes glued on the livery stable for what seemed like an age Ethan was rewarded for his vigilance by the sight of the three men emerging. Jess and Frank Emerson headed toward the hotel and Slim went down the street in the opposite direction toward Doc Ellis's surgery. Ethan wondered for a moment if maybe Sherman had been the one who'd investigated their little surprise but if that was the case, Harper wouldn't have left him to get to the Doc's on his own. They were close as brothers those two. He placed his empty beer glass on the boards at his feet and turned his attention back to the two men walking toward the hotel. He was gratified to see Jess stumble and grab hold of the hitching rail to steady himself. Ethan felt satisfied beyond all expectation as he saw Frank Emerson take hold of Jess's arm to help him up onto the boardwalk outside the hotel. Whatever else happened now, he'd got his payback. _I reckon that little black spider might be one female that didn't take too kindly to Jess Harper…_

The swing doors opened and closed as Cal emerged from the saloon and stepped a little unsteadily past Ethan's chair and onto the street. He made his way back to the livery stable totally oblivious to Ethan watching him. Some fifteen minutes later Ethan saw Slim Sherman leave the Doc's office on his own. He was carrying a large bundle but Ethan couldn't make out what it was from that distance. But where was the Doc? Sherman paused outside the Sheriff's office but the place was in darkness and he carried on to the hotel. As Sherman passed him Ethan got a closer look at what he was carrying. _Rain slickers…? Now what in hell…?_ When, some twenty minutes later Doc left his office, black bag in hand and walked quickly to the hotel, Ethan stretched lazily and picking up his empty beer glass he stepped back through the swing doors into the saloon to order another beer.

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Mort sat bolt upright as William explained what had happened. "He did what…? Why, that no good…" Mort got up from behind his desk and walked over to the window looking out briefly before turning back to William. "I suppose we're jumping to conclusions here but Zeke is the most likely culprit after what happened earlier. And you say Cal wasn't in the livery when they got over there?" William nodded in confirmation. "I'm going over there now. I want to make sure Cal's back and that he's all right and I also want to get to the bottom of this. Are you going back to the hotel William?"

"I reckon I'm just in the way at the hotel and I'm pretty sure Jess could do with one less person around him right now. If you've no objections Sheriff, I'd like to tag along with you."

Mort clapped a hand on his back. "Good man… and the name's Mort. Let's go and find out what this is all about."

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Mort locked the door of the jailhouse and the two men crossed over to the livery stable. The door was bolted shut and Mort hammered on it until Cal slid the door open and stood there in his union suit blinking sleepily.

"Whadd'ya want Sheriff? I was just settlin' down fer the night."

"I think we'd best discuss this inside Cal, if you don't mind." Mort indicated the interior of the livery stable and Cal stepped aside as the Sheriff and William stepped through the doorway.

Cal slid the big door shut and turned to Mort. "What's this all about?"

Mort took a quick glance around the stable before bringing his attention back to Cal. "Where'd you get to at around 9:30 tonight Cal? When William's son came in with Slim and Jess to check on their horses the livery stable was unattended. Someone'd been monkeying around with Jess's gear and he's been hurt. I need to know what happened Cal. I can't promise you won't get into any trouble over this but I need you to tell me what you know."

Cal hung his head and looked sheepish. He shuffled over to his makeshift bunk and sat down heavily. The two men followed him and stood waiting.

"I knew it'd get me into trouble. First time I ever done it, too. There's been three men in town I ain't never seen in Laramie before. They've been here a coupla weeks now. I've been lookin' after their horses. They seemed OK. Hadn't caused any trouble that I knew of. They came in around 9 o'clock. That Ethan Judd was with 'em. Wanted to spend some time with their horses they said. I thought it was a bit strange. They ain't ever bothered before. Ethan bein' there was even stranger, 'cos he don't ever put his horse up at the livery but I've seen him with 'em a coupla times so I reckoned he'd just tagged along." He looked up at Mort hoping the Sheriff wouldn't ask any more questions.

Mort wasn't anywhere near satisfied. "That's a start Cal. Now let's have the rest of it. Where were you when Slim and Jess came in with William's son?"

Cal grimaced. "Well… It's been pretty hot ya know and I was a mite dry when them fellers came in. They was real nice… said they'd look after the place 'til I got back, so I went over to the saloon to have a beer. I weren't gone that long but when I got back the place was deserted, 'cept for the horses. The door was shut same way I'd left it… I checked round the place and everythin' seemed OK, 'cept someone'd moved the lantern and it was turned up way too high. Their horses was gone though and I knew all the other horses was here for the night, so I locked up."

Mort shook his head. "Well they aren't as nice as they seem Cal. For a start one of those nice fellas, Zeke Patterson, has been bad-mouthing Jess for the last couple of weeks. Surely, you've heard the rumours he's been spreadin' around?"

Cal looked shocked. "I ain't heard no rumours. Don't get over the saloon much these days."

"There was a bit of a dust up between Jess and Zeke Patterson at the dance tonight over what Patterson's been sayin' and he threatened to get even with Jess." Mort fixed the old man with a stern glare. "You didn't hear about that either I suppose?"

Shaking his head miserably, Cal looked up at Mort. "I wouldn'ta left 'em here if I'd known. What'd they do to Jess?"

The old man was looking so distressed Mort almost felt sorry for him. "I haven't had the chance to talk to them yet but it seems pretty likely it was one of those three that managed to get a female black widow into a leather pouch and hang it on Jess's saddle. Jess came along and looked in the pouch to see if he could find out who it belonged to and got himself bitten… twice… Whoever it was couldn't have done that if you'd been here doin' your job."

Cal shook his head sadly. "I'm real sorry Sheriff." Cal liked Jess a lot. The young rancher always had time for a chat with him. "I had no idea they was gonna get up to mischief. How _is_ Jess?"

"Mischief, Cal?" Mort shook his head. "You call what happened here tonight mischief? Well I'll tell ya… Jess is real sick and there isn't any guarantee he'll come through this. We could be lookin' at a murder charge here. I don't think there's any way I can keep you out of this. You'll have to stand witness in Court if Jess presses charges."

Cal slumped miserably against the boards behind his bunk. "Oh, dear God what've I done? Heaven help young Jess…"

Mort and William walked out into the night leaving the old man to his self-recrimination. Further investigation proved fruitless except that Ben Dooley himself confirmed in a rather aggrieved tone that although the three men hadn't yet returned to their rooms, all their things were still there.

"Well I'm afraid that's it for tonight William. There's nothin' more I can do until mornin'. They left their things here so they must intend to return. I'll keep an eye out for 'em. The only thing I have on those three is circumstantial evidence: the fight with Jess, Patterson's public threat and the presence of those three in the livery stable, although as they persuaded Cal to leave them a clear field by sending him out to have a beer, that's enough for me to hold them on suspicion. But despite what I said to Cal about standing witness in Court, I doubt it'll come to that. There were no witnesses to whoever hung that pouch on Jess's saddle horn and anyone could've been in there at any time and slipped that pouch on Jess's saddle while Cal was busy. It's a large livery stable and Cal's not likely to take much notice of someone coming in to check on his horse. I guess Patterson isn't the only one in Laramie to hold a grudge against Jess. I'll come over to the hotel with you and see how he's holdin' up."

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When Mort and William returned to the hotel Evie was by the bed with Daisy. Jess lay curled on his side, arms clasped around his abdomen, shivering miserably as he was wracked with random spasms and chills. He complained that he couldn't get warm but his face and upper body were running with rivulets of sweat. The second waterproof cover had been laid over the top sheet to keep the bed quilt dry. Jess was far too sick now to worry about his nakedness as Daisy and Evie mopped the sweat from his upper body with towels but despite the efforts of the two women, the sheets beneath Jess as well as the top sheet were soaked through and in need of changing.

Mort stayed for a few minutes talking to Doc Ellis but he was soon shooed away by Doc who considered the room was becoming too crowded. The last thing his patient needed was an audience to his suffering.

After helping move Jess while the two women dried off the waterproof cover and laid dry sheets over it, William asked where Frank and Slim had got to.

Daisy looked up as she tried to get Jess to take some water. "Frank's getting some sleep in Evie's room. He'll hear if the boys wake up so why don't you go and get some rest in your own room. We can manage here with Doctor Ellis, and Slim is right next door." Daisy indicated the closed door of the adjoining room. "One of you three can take over later. Doctor Ellis will be staying the night here in case we need him."

William nodded his agreement. "I suppose that's best. I hate to see Jess this way. I feel so responsible…"

"It isn't your fault Pa." Evie told him. "It's the fault of that no-good Zeke Patterson. Who else would've done this? Now go on and get some rest. We'll need you later on."

As William left the room an anguished groan from Jess heralded the onset of yet another cycle of stomach cramps. In the first hour after being bitten Jess had suffered nausea and sickness, and a dull muscle pain which spread gradually from the bite areas to his entire body. Soon after that, minor cramps, chills and sweating had begun and then, when the worst of the muscle pain had centred itself in his diaphragm and chest, the headache which had been gradually worsening became more than Jess thought he could bear and he was unable to stand any light in his eyes. His muscles felt weak when they weren't cramping and he was becoming increasingly restless. Finally, the painful stomach spasms which Jess remembered from the first time he'd been bitten had begun, though mercifully without the same breathing difficulties.

The first spasms had lasted for just a few seconds before relaxing and then the cycle would begin again after ten minutes or so but as the night wore on the frequency increased until the cycle lengthened to thirty seconds of cramping followed by a thirty second respite. By this time, Jess was making only a feeble attempt to stifle his reaction and was devoid of any feelings of remorse when Robison knocked on the room door halfway through the night to protest. The fact that neither his wife nor any of his guests had been disturbed hadn't deterred the hotel owner. Doc suspected him of listening outside the door and sent him away with a stiff lecture. They heard no more from the self-righteously indignant hotel owner for the rest of the night.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10 – Boulder

As dusk began to deepen into night, Danny rode slowly down the main street of Boulder, his two dogs padding along beside his horse. He looked carefully to right and left as he rode but not until he passed the Silver Dollar saloon on his right did he find what he was looking for. The Sheriff's office was tucked away between a barber's shop and the general store just opposite the saloon.

Reining in his horse, Danny sat for a few minutes looking around. The Silver Dollar saloon was not short of customers, judging from the sounds of laughter and music drifting out onto the street. He was tempted to indulge in a cold beer but decided it would have to wait until he'd spoken to the Sheriff. The two dogs flopped down, tongues lolling, but their eyes were riveted on their master and when Danny dismounted and tied his horse's reins to the hitching rail, they rose instantly. As Danny stepped up onto the boardwalk and walked toward the door to the Sheriff's office, the two dogs watched him but made no attempt to follow until Danny turned and pointed to the boardwalk.

"Come on boys." Bidzi gave a soft questioning whine that seemed to range from one end of the scale to the other but he leapt up onto the boardwalk and flopped down facing the street. Yuma, always the quiet one, padded over and lay down next to him and as the door to the Sheriff's office closed behind Danny, the dogs settled down to keep watch.

Sheriff Aimes was sitting at his desk reading through a report and he looked up as Danny entered his office. "Good evenin' young man." He indicated the chair facing his desk.

"Right back at ya Sheriff." Danny removed his hat and after hanging it on the big old wooden coat rack by the door, he sat down.

The Sheriff laid the report down on his desk. "What can I do for you?"

"Names Danny, Sheriff. Danny Adams. I'm lookin' for a little information."

Ned Aimes took careful stock of his visitor. The young man sitting before him had an open and honest-looking face with candid, storm-grey eyes. He liked what he saw but he'd been wrong before now and decided to reserve his judgement. "Information, huh? You look as if you've had a long ride. Are you a bounty hunter son?"

Smiling, Danny shook his head. "No sir. That's somethin' I ain't. Truth is, I've not long resigned from the Texas Rangers and I'm on my way to Laramie to meet up with my fiancée but I have an interest in a couple of fugitives. One of the last things I done as a Ranger was tryin' to track 'em down but we lost their trail and I thought I might as well see if I could pick it up again on my way to Laramie."

The Sheriff nodded in agreement. "Seems like a good plan to me. And presumably you've picked it up?"

Danny leaned back in the chair and crossed one booted foot over his thigh. "I sure have. The last place we had a definite trace of 'em was Albuquerque. They're wanted in Texas for robbin' a bank but then one of 'em killed a lawman in Santa Fe so now he's wanted for murder. We tracked 'em from Santa Fe to Albuquerque but that's where the trail went cold and we ended up goin' back to base. After I resigned I had to wait for my replacement but once I was released from duty I started out for Laramie. I thought I'd take the trail through New Mexico and Colorado and I reckoned Albuquerque was a likely place to start from. I made a few enquiries along the way and I finally picked up word of 'em in Colorado Springs. I carried on through Denver and picked up the odd trace from time to time, mainly in saloons or way stations and it seems like they were headed in this general direction. I'm hopin' my luck might hold good here. I got no picture of 'em to show ya but Charlie Baines is pretty hard to miss."

"Well now Danny… I've a pot of coffee on the stove in the corner there. Why don't you pour us out a mug apiece and I'll see if I can help you any? Whadd'ya intend to do if you find 'em son?"

"If I find 'em I'll just turn 'em over to the local law. I'm sure they can hold 'em until a US Marshall can get there to take 'em in. I'm hopin' those two might be able to throw some light on the whereabouts of three other men. They aren't wanted but I'm pretty sure they were involved in the same robbery as Charlie Baines and his gang and I'd be real happy if I could tie 'em to it." Danny uncrossed his legs and rose to his feet. He walked over to the corner stove. "It's not really my fight anymore. I resigned from the Rangers to persuade my girl to marry me and I don't wanna go jeopardisin' my health bringin' that lowlife to justice but I guess if I _could_ put 'em behind bars it'd give me a great deal of satisfaction."

He placed a mug of coffee down in front of Sheriff Aimes and sat down to sip at his own. "It was on account of me bein' a Texas Ranger that Evie wouldn't marry me before. She's got a young son and she didn't want to see him lose his new Pa once he'd got attached to him."

"Sounds like a sensible woman. It's a dangerous occupation." Aimes said. "How long were you a Texas Ranger, Danny?"

"Oh… well now you're askin'." Danny thought for a moment. "Must be close on 8 or 9 years. I loved every minute of it but I love my Evie more."

Sheriff Aimes smiled. He liked this young man. "Sounds like you got some sense as well. I'm Ned Aimes but you can call me Ned. Now… who're you lookin' for? I know Charlie Baines is one of 'em 'cos you mentioned him already. But what about the others?"

Danny put his mug of coffee on the desk and leaning back he pulled a folded wanted poster from his jacket pocket and handed it over to the older man. Ned Aimes leaned across the desk and took hold of the poster, unfolding it and studying it carefully.

"Both of these men are wanted in connection with the robbery in El Paso but Charlie Baines is the one wanted for the murder of a lawman. The descriptions on that poster are pretty good but as I said before, Charlie Baines is an easy one to identify. If you've seen him, you won't be in any doubt over it." Danny waited until Ned Aimes had finished reading through the information on the poster and then launched into a more detailed description of Charlie Baines.

When Danny had finished Ned looked up with a smile. "I reckon I've seen these two and you're right… Charlie Baines sure does stand out from the crowd. Now, if it'd just been Steve Wilkins ridin' through here I might not have remembered him. They were here a couple of weeks ago. They were holed up somewhere out of town but they spent a fair amount of time over at the Silver Dollar saloon. I kept an eye on 'em but they behaved themselves and I had nothin' on 'em so I left 'em alone." Ned Aimes savoured another sip of his coffee, his eyes twinkling at Danny over the rim of his cup. "You said you were hopin' they might lead you to three other men?"

Danny sat up a bit straighter. "I sure did… You got somethin' for me?"

"Well… those two were hangin' around for a coupla days and I wondered if they mightn't be waitin' for someone. Sure enough, they met up with two other men." He grinned at the expression on Danny's face. "Now there's no call for ya to go lookin' so doggone disappointed son. There was a third man rode in with those two but he wasn't there when I saw 'em with Baines." Ned described the two men he'd seen and Danny decided they could be none other than Zeke and Billy.

A warm feeling of satisfaction crept over Danny and his smile reflected it. "Zeke Patterson and Billy Yates. I knew it… The third man must've been Billy's younger brother Pete. I'm assumin' they've moved on. Any idea where they went to from here?"

Ned Aimes shook his head. "Not Baines and his friend… I guess they left the same night they met up with this Patterson fella 'cos I never saw 'em again after that night. Patterson and his two friends left the next mornin'. I saw 'em myself. They took the East road out of town. If you stay on that trail it'll take ya to Fort Collins and now I come to think on it, I saw Charlie Baines and Steve Wilkins ride in from that same direction when they first turned up here."

A sudden series of loud barks followed by a low growling from outside the door interrupted their conversation and Danny leapt up and opened the door. A man was backed up against the hitching rail while Bidzi and Yuma stood on alert between him and Danny's horse.

Danny stepped onto the boardwalk followed by Ned Aimes. "Bidzi… Yuma… Here!"

The dogs backed off instantly and lay back down on the boardwalk but their eyes were fixed on the man, the hair along their backs still bristling. "D'ya know this man Ned?"

Aimes eyed the man with a certain amount of disfavour. "I'm afraid he's my deputy. What did you do to set those two off Pete?"

"I didn't do nothin'" Pete declared in a slightly shaky voice. "I'm off duty in a half hour an' I was just comin' in to hand my report to ya. Call 'em off will ya? They didn't oughta be allowed off a leash. They's dangerous…"

Aimes shook his head in disgust. "In case you hadn't noticed Pete, they've already been called off and I don't believe you're in any danger."

"My dogs wouldn't touch you without my say so and they wouldn't take any notice of ya at all lest ya touched my horse or my saddle bags." Danny stepped down off the boardwalk and checking his saddle bags he found one of them open. "Why'd you open this?"

Bidzi, ever the vocal one picked up on the tone of Danny's voice and gave a low threatening rumble of a growl, his eyes never leaving Pete's face and the deputy squirmed. Yuma never uttered a sound, content to let his brother do the talking but the intensity of his stare was unnerving. "I was just lookin' to see who you was. It bein' a strange horse 'n all."

Aimes snorted. "The horse was hitched right outside the jail. You could just as easily have checked in my office first."

"Not with his dogs sprawled across the boardwalk in front of the door, I couldn't."

"You could've walked around 'em easy Pete. You oughta know there ain't no call to go lookin' through a man's possessions unless you got somethin' on him." Ned Aimes turned to Danny. "I apologise on behalf of my deputy. He don't mean no harm but I reckon his brain suffers on occasion from the amount of time he spends sittin' around on it. I'm real impressed with these dogs of yours Danny. I could do with a couple like 'em to take the place of my deputy. You got 'em trained real good."

"No apology needed." Danny turned to Pete who looked as if he wanted to crawl under the boardwalk. "Look Pete. I'm sorry my dogs gave you a hard time but there ain't no need to be nervous of 'em. These two won't stir an inch toward you lest I tell 'em to."

Pete's pride was a little hurt but he knew he only had himself to blame. Ignoring Danny's apology, he skirted carefully around the dogs, jumping slightly when Bidzi uttered a parting growl under his breath. Pete could've sworn the dog was laughing at him. He went hastily inside, slamming the door shut behind him.

"I'm real sorry Ned but he had no call to go lookin' through my things."

"Oh, I totally agree Danny. No hard feelin's I hope?" He held out his hand. "I'll stand you another coffee if you like?"

"Thanks Ned. It's been a real pleasure meetin' you and I thank you for all your help but I'd better find somewhere to stay the night."

"I'll walk over to the livery with you and introduce you and your friends here to our liveryman, Ben. I presume your dogs'll stay with your horse at the livery?"

"They will." Danny chuckled. "Never lost a horse yet."

Sheriff Aimes looked admiringly at the two dogs. "I don't doubt it. They're fine critters. Do they object to bein' touched?"

"Not if you're a friend of mine. I don't pet 'em too much myself but they'll take about as much as they can get from anyone who'll offer it."

Danny called the dogs over and they padded across and sat waiting. "Come a bit closer Ned and hold out your hand, palm up." Ned Aimes obeyed and the dogs sniffed first at his hand and then at his boots and trousers before licking his still-outstretched hand.

"OK… consider yourself formally introduced. You can pet 'em as much as you like. They won't complain."

Danny laughed as Ned leant down and stroked and fussed both dogs with a delighted expression on his face. "They'll be your friends for life now."

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Danny led his horse into the livery stable accompanied by his dogs and Ned Aimes. Ben Hodges got up from his game of Solitaire and never turned a hair as the two wolf-like dogs sniffed at him. Danny introduced the dogs and they flopped down, satisfied that Ben was a friend.

"Well now. I ain't ever seen a pair of dogs lookin' more like wolves. They look friendly enough but I'm willin' to bet they're real fine guard dogs. You ever thought of partin' with 'em?"

Danny smiled and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I reckon they'd just run off and track me down if ever I did. I've had 'em since they were pups. Have you any objection to my leavin' 'em here with my horse overnight?"

"None at all, long as they don't bite. Be glad to have 'em fer company. I got a likin' fer dogs and the bigger the better. Couldn't get much bigger'n these two I reckon. Bidzi and Yuma eh? Well, I know Yuma's a Navajo name so I reckon Bidzi's gotta be short for Bidziil?"

"You're absolutely right Ben. How'd you know that?"

"I spent a lot of years in the US cavalry but I got no grudge against Indians like a lot of folk do. I don't know how I'd feel if a whole load of folk invaded my territory but I don't reckon as I'd like it much. I guess they was just protectin' they're own same as us. I'll admit there was some as took it too far but that happened on both sides. I got a lot of respect for their way of life and I spent a while with the Navajo when I retired from the cavalry. These _are_ Indian bred dogs ain't they?"

"I was given them by a Navajo boy I helped out of a jam. Er… Ben? These two are a mite hungry. We've been on the trail a while. Where can I get some food for 'em? They usually share my trail food so they'll eat anythin' from a rabbit or a bite or two of jerky to a stew but they're pretty partial to a raw steak and a biscuit or two."

"Well, I'll tell ya what… If I can trust 'em to stay on guard here I'll run over to the Silver Dollar and get 'em a couple of steaks and put 'em on yer bill. Will that do?"

"It'll do just fine. Better make 'em large ones; they haven't eaten since this mornin'. Better still… I reckon on havin' supper at the Silver Dollar myself. How about you have yourself a steak supper on me for lookin' after my dogs and I'll have that and the raw steaks sent over here."

"Mighty kind of ya Danny but I've had my supper already. You'd better make sure you send over enough for these two to have seconds though and don't forget the biscuits. I reckon these boys are pretty thirsty too. I gotta water your horse so I'll see they get somethin' to drink."

Ned had listened to the talk of Danny's dogs with interest. "If you've no objection Danny, I'll keep ya company. I'm about ready for some supper myself."

"I reckon I'd like that." After signalling to his dogs to stay with Ben, Danny followed the Sheriff out of the livery stable and down the street toward the Silver Dollar. "Maybe we can ask the barkeep if he knows any more about Charlie Baines?"

"It's always worth a try…" Ned grinned. "You know, I never knew that about Ben. He keeps things pretty close, does that old man. I ain't heard him talk that much in all the time I've known him."

"Dogs'll do that." Danny told him. "I've made a lot of friends through my dogs. Made a lot of enemies too… It ain't everyone as likes 'em. Would you mind showin' me where the boardin' house is?"

"Sure… I can do that. It's a couple of blocks past the Silver Dollar." Ned walked Danny down the street in the direction of the boarding house and then he paused. "Tell ya what Danny. The beds at the boardin' house here ain't up to much and you might end up leavin' with more'n you came with if you get my meanin'. You can check it out if you want but you're welcome to bed down at the jail. We got a couple of real comfortable bunks specially for me and my deputy but I'm on duty tonight so Pete'll be goin' home to his little wife."

"Much appreciated Ned. It's the best offer I've had since I left Texas. Now, let's go order those steaks."

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Zeke, Billy and Pete rode their horses carefully along the trail they'd scouted out earlier that week. They'd followed the main road leading from Laramie to the Sherman ranch and then turned off in the direction of the canyons. Once off the road, they held their horses to a walking pace despite the moonlit night, unwilling to risk their mounts in the rough country. Skirting around the base of the same dangerous, rocky cliff face that Jess had attempted to climb when searching for the Swiss fugitive Emil Viktor, they followed the trail through the canyons until it widened out to the right forming a clearing in the centre of which stood a deserted cabin. It was known locally as the old Wincanyon place and had been occupied briefly a couple of years back by Emil Viktor, his wife and her two children.

The cabin was in darkness and looked deserted but the smell of wood smoke hung in the air. Zeke dismounted and leading his horse by the reins, he made his way around to the back of the cabin where a dim light filtered through a heavy blind at the back window. The other two men followed suit quietly opening the door to the barn at the back of the cabin. Their horses nickered quietly in greeting, recognising the three other horses already stabled there and the men unsaddled their mounts and gave them a quick rub down before leaving the barn.

The door to the cabin was open slightly and Zeke could see the barrel of a rifle aimed in their direction. He walked forward slowly, his hands held away from his sides and called quietly to whoever was standing by the open door. "Charlie…? Steve…?" He hesitated as the man holding the rifle came into view. "Oh, it's you Jeb. When d'ya get here? Put that rifle down will ya? You're makin' me nervous. I got Billy and Pete with me but there ain't no one else with us."

Jeb lowered the rifle and gestured with the barrel toward the open door. "You'd better get inside. Charlie's been waitin' on ya."

Zeke stepped inside the cabin followed by Billy and Pete. Jeb took a look around outside before returning to the cabin.

"Nice place ya got here Charlie." Apart from a thick layer of dust that no one had bothered to remove, the place was empty except for a few wooden chairs, a rickety table and an old leather sofa that had seen better days. Emil and Lorena had owned all the decent furniture and they'd taken it with them when they'd left. An old piece of heavy sacking had been hung over the rear window, lending a little more substance to the thin curtain.

"Glad ya like it…" Charlie growled at him. "…but it's a bit late to be visitin', ain't it? You might find a large log or two out back to sit on. The chairs are all taken. I'd tell ya to make yourselves comfortable but you can see how it is…" He nodded his head to the rear of the kitchen where they were sitting. "There's coffee on the stove and we found a supply of canned beans and some bacon in the cupboard; there's some canned potatoes and peaches too but I reckon you've already eaten. Was that you stocked up on the supplies for us?"

"Yeah… we thought you might be needin' some. Billy… Pete…" Zeke indicated the rear door. "See if ya can find anythin' out there to sit on and you'd better bring our saddles and bedrolls in while you're at it. We can't go back to Laramie until mornin' and no… we haven't eaten since midday."

Charlie looked up sharply. "Why can't you go back to Laramie tonight? You ain't in any trouble are ya? I don't want the Sheriff sniffin' around for ya out here."

"We ain't in any trouble, but it's late and it's dark." Ignoring Charlie's angry glare, he poured himself out a mug of coffee. "We had a little bit of fun earlier on is all. Look, why don't we wait for Billy and Pete to come back and I'll tell ya all about it."

Fifteen minutes later Billy and Pete had brought their gear into the cabin and had unearthed an old porch chair and a large wooden trunk from behind the barn. They carried them into the cabin and Zeke examined them warily.

"What's the matter Zeke? They not up to your high standards?" Charlie wasn't too happy at having extra company in the cabin all night.

"It's a long story but I don't wanna get myself bit by a black widow. I hear it ain't too pleasant." He looked pointedly at Billy and Pete and all three men laughed.

"Sounds like some private joke you got goin' there. Care to fill us all in?" Steve and Jeb pulled their chairs away from the table to make room for the ill-assorted pieces of furniture. Zeke and Billy settled themselves down at the table and Pete sprawled on the battered leather sofa in the corner of the room.

Jeb glared at him. "That's mine. I'll let ya use it until I need it but you can take your dirty boots off it."

"OK… enough you two." Charlie kicked at the leg of Jeb's chair. "There's more'n enough dust on that ole sofa already, a little bit more ain't gonna hurt ya none. Now what's this all about Zeke?"

Half an hour later, Charlie was still irritated. "Glad you managed to keep yourselves occupied but I ain't sure you're right about it divertin' the Sheriff's attention from the real game. It would've been better to avoid gettin' his attention in the first place. What if he decides to lock ya all up? Then what ya gonna do? What are we gonna do, for that matter?" He shook his head in exasperation. "Did ya tell this Ethan anythin' about our plans?"

"He don't know nothin'. He's in town right now watchin' to see if Harper gets curious enough to check out our little surprise. Sheriff ain't gonna lock us up, he ain't got any proof we did it."

Jeb wasn't convinced. "Yeah… but this Ethan knows ya did it. He could rat on ya. How do we know we can trust him?" Jeb got up and picked up the coffee pot, throwing the old grounds out of the rear door. He came back in and began to make a fresh pot of coffee.

"I told ya. He don't know anythin' about our plans. He was just set on gettin' his own back on Harper. He still thinks I'm after Evie and Ben. We'll ride back to town tomorrow. I reckon we can throw the blame for whatever happens to Harper on Ethan. That'll get him outta the way and I'll have a change of heart about Evie and leave town." Zeke looked over at Billy. "You feel up to rustlin' up a little grub for us Billy? I'm fair starvin' here."

Billy gave him a none-too friendly glare. He was a little fed up at being treated like the hired help but he was hungry too. "I ain't your hired hand. I'll do it this time around but just so's you know, it should be your turn. Come on Pete… You can give me a hand."

"Did ya check out the stage route?" Steve asked as he went over to the store cupboard and helped Billy find the pans he needed. He grabbed the coffee pot and stood it in the centre of the table before sitting back down.

"Sure we did. Now, there's a real sharp bend in the road about five miles before the relay station. The stage'll be comin' up to the top of a steep rise when they hit that bend and they won't be able to see what's around it. That part of the road passes through a narrow canyon and there's no room to turn the stage. We can just sit pretty at the other end and wait for 'em." Zeke drained the last of his coffee and reached for the pot in the centre of the table. "By the time Sherman realises the stage ain't comin' through, we'll be on our way to Montana."

"Lucky I got myself a map of the trail through Montana and over the Canadian border, ain't it?" Charlie looked over at Jeb and Steve. Whadd'ya think?" He held out his empty cup and Zeke topped it up.

Steve looked thoughtful. "Sounds OK but I'd like to ride out early tomorrow and take a look at this stretch of road Zeke's talkin' about."

Jeb shrugged and grinned at the other men around the table. "I agree with Steve. Sounds fine to me but let's go take a look."

"All right then." Charlie got up and stretched. "Looks like your supper's ready. Eat and then we'll go over a few things and in the mornin' we'll ride out to where the road goes through that canyon and check out how long it takes to get there. I still remember my way around these canyons from a good few years back but I'd forgotten about that stretch of road. If it's where I think you mean we can hit the road a bit further down toward Laramie by way of an old back trail from here. I know another back trail too. It leads through the upper foothills of the mountains between here and Medicine Bow. It skirts right around Laramie and comes back down just past Medicine Bow. It's pretty rough goin' but it'd be hard for a posse to follow our tracks and once we're past Medicine Bow we can head on to Casper and pick up the Bozeman trail into Montana."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11 – Never Let the Truth Get in the Way of a Good Story

Ethan paid for his beer and was about to head to his favourite table at the back of the Stockman's Palace saloon when a snatch of conversation from a group of ranch hands next to him caught his attention. He leaned casually against the bar counter and took a sip of his beer.

"…said she ain't seen Harper for years! I don't reckon it's anywhere near the truth." The first cowhand, a dark-haired man with a Texan accent turned to order another round of drinks from Sam and knocked against Ethan's arm. He made a brief apology and then turned back to his friends.

One of his companions, a lanky ginger-haired man Ethan recognised as one of Ben Dooley's regulars shook his head doubtfully. "I don't know about that. He's always pretty popular with the women folk around here." Ethan thought he sounded put out by this.

The dark-haired Texan tossed a coin onto the counter in payment for the fresh round of beers. "I'll give ya that and he's mighty partial to a pretty girl too but he don't do much more'n dance with 'em. Jess ain't one to play around with a decent woman. If he spends a night in a woman's bed, it'll belong to one of the saloon girls."

"But I heard that fella talkin' about it in Ben Dooley's. He said he just wants to see his kid. Ya can't blame him for that, surely." The ginger-haired cowhand downed the remains of his first beer and eyed the full glass on the counter in front of him.

"You spend too much time in that dump…" the Texan retorted "…and that fella Zeke's been shootin' his mouth off about Jess and the girl nigh on everywhere he goes. If you'd been in here a few nights ago when Mort Cory set us all straight about that rumour, you'd know that fella's been lyin' through his teeth." The Texan jabbed a finger at the second man's vest to get his point home. "Look… Mort Cory's got a good head on his shoulders and he ain't one to be euchered by a tall tale. He didn't go into details but he said he got the whole story from the girl and he reckoned she was tellin' the truth. If this Zeke fella was the catch he claims to be, why wouldn't the girl wanna marry him? No woman wants to bring up a child on her own. The kid's seven years old for Pete's sake. If he ain't got her to marry him by now, it's obvious she don't want him. Nah… he forced her all right and that's why she won't have nothin' to do with him."

The third man in the group, an older man with a balding head, nodded his agreement. "If he's so set on gettin' her to marry him why's he playin' around with the girls at Ben Dooley's so much. Mort said he weren't no friend of Jess's when they was kids and I reckon that's got somethin' to do with what Jess said about him at the dance. He didn't like Jess knowin' about where his tastes lay. She'd good reason to refuse him. Jess was tellin' the truth about him, and I'll tell ya why I say that…" He lowered his voice on the last few words and the other two men leaned closer to hear what he had to say. Ethan tried to look disinterested, but he strained to hear the conversation over the background noise in the saloon. "I was talkin' to Julie over at Ben Dooley's t'other evenin'. You know she's got that cute little kid and Ben let's her live there with Julie as long as she ain't around when Julie's workin'…"

"Yeah, that's right," the Texan butted in. "…and there's a few folk who swear that Ben's the father."

"Well… I can't say one way or t'other," the bald man continued. "I do know Ben's always been real partial to Julie but she always tells everyone she ain't got no idea who the father is. I'll tell ya somethin' though… It ain't only the girls that work there that fuss over her. Ben dotes on that kid when he thinks there ain't anyone lookin'. Well anyway… that's neither here nor there. The point is, that Zeke fella's got a real mean streak where women and kids are concerned. You won't hardly believe this, but Julie told me…"

A sudden loud burst of laughter from a nearby table drowned out the rest of his words. Ethan wondered just what Zeke had done to upset Julie and just what was it Jess had said about Zeke at the dance. _Maybe I'll go and see Julie later…_ Another man from further along the bar called over to the three men and they moved away still discussing what Julie had told the balding cowhand. Ethan picked up his beer and moved away to an empty table. He'd done a few extra shifts at work lately and he hadn't spent much time in the saloon. He hadn't heard what Mort had said about Zeke. It hadn't occurred to him before that the man could've been lying, except for what he'd just heard.

Ethan stared at his beer glass as he mulled over the conversation between the three men. He'd only heard snatches of what they'd said but it was enough to make him suspect he'd been gulled by Zeke's sob story. He didn't regret what they'd done to Harper, he was glad of it but he didn't like being used and he didn't like being lied to. He didn't much like the idea of women or kids being mistreated either. _No matter what I done I never sunk that low. Zeke could sure make a lie sound like the truth. What was it I heard Sherman say once about Jess tellin' him a tall tale? Oh yeah… He never lets the truth get in the way of a good story… That was it. Well, I reckon they might've invented that sayin' for Zeke._

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Slim sat by the bedside watching the still figure of his friend as the room began to lighten with the dawn. The painful stomach cramps which had increased in intensity during the night had finally peaked and were slowly becoming less frequent and intense. The profuse sweating had also eased and apart from a light sheen of perspiration, Jess was dry. For the moment he slept, exhausted by the effects of the spider venom but he slept only during the brief spells between cramps. Slim knew his partner would soon be waking and he checked that he had everything to hand that he needed. At least the worst seemed to be over and Doc was confident enough of his full recovery to have left his care in the hands of his friends.

A noise from the adjoining room startled him from his thoughts and he turned to see Daisy standing in the doorway. He'd taken over from her just a couple of hours ago and hadn't expected her to be up and about so soon. Slim rose quietly from the bedside and crossed the room to join her, speaking in a whisper. "You shouldn't be up yet Daisy. You've spent more time than any of us lookin' after Jess. It's only 6 o'clock. Go back to sleep for a while."

"I just wish I could." Daisy spoke softly as she secured the belt of her robe. "I suppose I'm just used to being awake at this time of the morning. I usually get the coffee on at about 5:30." She peered across at Jess. "How is he Slim?"

"He's sleepin' at the moment but I reckon he'll be awake soon. The cramps are only about every 15 minutes now but the next cycle's due any time. They're nowhere near as bad as they were though."

"Well it looks as if Doctor Ellis was right. Either the previous bite gave him some immunity or he's just physically more able to deal with the venom than he was the last time." Daisy crossed over to the bed and laid the back of her hand on Jess's forehead. He stirred slightly at her touch and mumbled something in his sleep but he didn't wake.

Slim looked doubtful. "You sure about that Daisy? He's had a pretty bad night."

"Oh, he has, certainly. But it could have been a lot worse and considering the speed at which the symptoms developed they haven't lasted as long as I'd expected them to. If you remember, he said earlier he was very sick for three days the first time he got bitten." Daisy noted the light sheen of sweat on Jess's skin. "I think we'll take the waterproof off from under the quilt Slim. He doesn't need it now and I think he'll be more comfortable without it. We can remove the other one later."

Once the top waterproof sheet had been removed, Daisy drew the quilt back up and dampening a fresh cloth, she dabbed gently at Jess's face. "He's still a little feverish but it's nothing to worry about. I think the others might be up and around soon. I'll get myself dressed and go and make some coffee in Deirdre's kitchen. I should think you could do with some and Robison doesn't serve breakfast until 7 o'clock." She went back into the adjoining room.

Slim sat down again and found Jess awake and looking over to the door of Daisy's room. "Is Daisy OK, Slim? You both look kinda tired."

"We're a little tired Jess but we're OK. The important thing is, how are you?"

Jess grimaced at the onslaught of yet another cycle of stomach cramps. He couldn't quite suppress a soft little gasp but the cramp subsided relatively quickly and after a few minutes he began to relax again. "I guess I feel a bit like a wrung-out dishcloth but at least I don't feel like a soakin' wet one any more. I ache all over and I still got one hell of a headache, but it ain't as bad as it was."

"Are you feelin' sick?" Picking up the glass of water from the bedside table, Slim held it out.

Jess hauled himself up into a sitting position and took the glass from Slim. "Yeah… but I don't feel like I'm gonna throw up any more." He took a long drink before sinking back against the pile of pillows.

The door to the adjoining room opened and Daisy bustled out, smiling as she saw Jess sitting up, glass in hand. "Well, young man. You look a lot better than you did a few hours ago. Just keep drinking that water. I'll be back soon with coffee Slim."

"Can I have some coffee Daisy?" Jess gave her his best boyish grin.

"Certainly not. You're still too dehydrated. Just water for now and maybe later this morning you can have a coffee. I can make you some tea now if you'd like…?" She laughed at the disgusted expression on Jess's face.

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Mort poured himself a second cup of coffee and checked the time on his pocket watch. 10:15… He looked out the window to see late church-goers hurrying down the street. He'd seen Daisy and Evie taking the two boys in the direction of the church just before 10 o'clock, accompanied by William Emerson. That would just leave Frank and Slim with Jess. He decided he'd check on Jess after he'd finished his coffee and then see if Zeke and the two Yates brothers had returned. He wanted to talk to Ethan too but decided that would have to wait.

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While Mort was enjoying his second cup of coffee, Zeke, Billy and Pete were nearing Laramie. They'd been up with the sun to check out the place Zeke had pinpointed as being the best spot to waylay the stage. Charlie took them along the back trail and they came out a hundred yards or so further down from where the road exited the canyon. After thoroughly investigating the area and discussing different tactics, Charlie, Jeb and Steve gave a grudging approval before heading back to the deserted cabin, leaving Zeke and the two brothers to head back to town.

They rode along in silence until Zeke turned to the other two. "You know the Sheriff's gonna be lookin' out for us? He'll be on our backs the minute we arrive in Laramie. You two clear on what we're gonna say?"

Billy grinned over at him. "Sure we are. We've been over it a dozen times."

"What about you Pete? You wanna go over it again?" Zeke wasn't that confident of Pete's ability to understand the plot, let alone remember it.

"Don't need to… it's simple enough. The ole boy is confused and Ethan's a more likely suspect. He's got it in for Jess. That it?"

"That's it Pete. Just make sure you remember that in case he asks you direct but otherwise, you let me do the talkin'. That goes for both of ya."

Billy and Pete exchanged a weary look. They were both getting a little tired of Zeke's propensity to think he was smarter than they were.

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By the time Mort had finished his coffee, listened to another complaint about the fight at the dance on the previous night and smoothed down a few sets of ruffled feathers, it was nearing 10:45 before he was knocking on the hotel room door.

The door was opened by Frank and Mort was surprised to see Jess sitting on one of the armchairs fully dressed and talking to Slim. He looked very pale and drawn but compared to the last time Mort had seen him he was considerably better.

"Mornin' Frank, Slim. Well now Jess… there I was, thinkin' you were at death's door and there's nothin' wrong with you." Mort laid his hat on the table and sat down on the edge of the bed giving Jess one of his stern looks. "I reckon you just like to get folks runnin' around after you. How're you feelin' son?"

"A heck of a lot better than I felt last night." Jess held his left arm protectively against his stomach and he grimaced. "Still gettin' a few cramps but Doc reckons they'll settle down tomorrow. We'll be goin' home when Daisy and the others get back from church. Doc reckons I should be back to normal in a day or so."

"That's only if you take things easy Jess." Slim gave Mort a look that told him Jess was being a bit too optimistic. "Don't forget Doc said some of those symptoms might recur if you try and do too much. No ridin' for at least a couple of days and we've gotta keep an eye on that right hand of yours."

"What's wrong with your hand Jess?" Mort looked concerned.

"Ain't nothin' much, unless I have to draw my gun in a hurry." Jess flexed the fingers of his right hand. My hand and arm went kinda numb for a while after I got bit and it still don't feel right. Feels kinda slow and heavy and I keep droppin' things. Doc says it'll pass."

Mort eased himself up off the bed and stretched his back. "I'm glad you're feelin' a little better Jess but just you follow Doc's orders. And you two'd better keep him out of any fights for a few days. I need to have a word with Zeke and those two friends of his. I reckon I got enough to hold 'em on suspicion, though after what you said about him last night at the dance, I doubt whether he's gonna feel too welcome in town anymore. I'll have a word with Ethan Judd too but if I come up with anythin' after you've left town, I'll ride out to see you. Now, you take care Jess, ya hear?"

"Yeah Mort, I hear ya and thanks. William told me about the talk you had with Cal. He said Cal was worried sick. Tell him it's OK will ya? I ain't blamin' him. I just wonder what those three were up to ridin' outta town like that. They ain't back yet?"

"Not yet Jess. We checked at Ben Dooley's last night but they'll be back sometime… they left a lot of things behind. I spoke to Dooley. He didn't seem any too pleased they hadn't taken their gear with them but I don't know why. He said he could do without that sort of customer. I've never thought of Dooley as bein' too particular."

"He ain't, but he don't hold with anyone damagin' the goods."

Jess was frowning thoughtfully and it didn't escape Mort's notice. "OK Jess. What's on your mind."

"I just don't trust those three Mort and I ain't talkin' about all the lies Zeke's been spreadin' around, or about that little trap he laid for me last night." The frown deepened. "What Evie said the other day… about him lookin' for her not makin' any sense. Well, it don't. Ben's seven now and Zeke never bothered before."

"Are you sayin' that Evie isn't the reason Patterson's here Jess?" Slim exchanged a puzzled look with Mort and Frank.

"I reckon I am. All three of 'em were trouble back then but Zeke, there was nothin' he liked better'n seein' folk all riled up. Suppose he was here for some other reason and findin' Evie here was just pure chance. With me bein' here an all… maybe he just couldn't resist the opportunity to stir things up while he was here." Jess lifted a questioning eyebrow. "So why is he here?"

Now Mort was looking thoughtful. "You could be right Jess but guessin' isn't gonna get us anywhere near the truth and I'm darn sure he isn't gonna tell me what it is even if I'm real polite."

Jess let out a frustrated sigh. "Yeah… I know, but I just have a feelin' about this. Do me one favour will ya Mort? Don't try and hold 'em on what you got on 'em. I ain't gonna press charges against 'em if you do."

"Why not Jess?" Mort didn't look too pleased. "I've got the right of law to hold 'em for a day or two while I look into this."

"I know Mort and it's what they deserve… but if they ain't even welcome at Ben Dooley's right now, they might well just decide to move on and that'd be the best thing for Evie. 'Sides… I'm kinda curious to know what they're up to and if you got 'em locked up we'll likely never know."

With an exasperated shake of the head Mort picked up his hat and walked over to the door. "I just hope you know what you're about Jess. We could find ourselves with a whole load of trouble that could've been avoided if I'd had 'em locked up. I need you to press charges before I can hold 'em and if you're determined not to do that, there's not a whole lot I can do. Well… there's no sense in lettin' Cal suffer any longer than he needs to so I'll go over to the livery right now and have a word with him. Could be Zeke and his friends've got back to town while we've been talkin'. I'll let you know what's goin' on." He gave a brief nod of farewell as he left.

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When Mort relayed Jess's message, Cal couldn't have looked more pleased if he'd received a stay of execution. "Will I have to stand witness in Court Sheriff?"

"It won't go that far Cal. Jess isn't pressin' charges, although he may well be persuaded to do it if we can find somethin' else on 'em. I want a word or two with the three men who came in here with Ethan Judd last night. Now, I don't want you leavin' the livery unattended again but I'd be real grateful if you could get word to me when they bring their horses back."

"Don't seem right they should get away with it."

"I'm with you there Cal but Jess's got his reasons and you know Jess… He's about as stubborn as they come. Let me know if you see 'em come back will you?"

"They mightn't bring their horses back to the livery right away Sheriff but if they do, or if I see 'em come into town, I'll find some way of lettin' ya know."

Mort went back out into the bright sunshine and decided to go looking for Ethan Judd. He took a quick look up the road leading out of town and saw the three riders approaching. He stepped out into the centre of the street holding up his hand for them to stop.

Cal watched from the livery stable as Zeke and the two Yates brothers reined in their horses. He knew what he'd like to say to them but he figured he'd best keep his mouth shut. Maybe they'd just hitch their horses up outside the jailhouse.

Zeke rested an arm on his saddle horn as he leaned forward to speak to Mort. "Somethin' I can do for ya Sheriff?"

"I'd like a word with the three of you in my office." Mort gave Zeke a forbidding look. "I'll be waitin' on you so don't be too long about it or next time you see me it'll be behind the business end of my rifle." Turning his back on the three men he strode over to the jailhouse without waiting for a reply.

"He don't seem none too happy. I'll bet his friend Harper had himself quite a night."

The three men took their time in settling their horses at the livery stable and it was twenty minutes before Zeke made a leisurely entrance to the jailhouse followed by Billy and Pete. "What's this all about Sheriff? I'd be real grateful if ya didn't take up too much of our time. We ain't got a lot to spare right now."

He pulled a chair over to Mort's desk and sat down, leaning back and resting the side of his left boot on his right knee while Billy and Pete lounged against the edge of the table on which the rifle rack stood.

Mort studied Zeke for a moment or two before responding. He didn't like the younger man's arrogant and cock-sure attitude but he kept his temper and his expression never changed as he stared Zeke down. Finally, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You could tell me where you spent the night to begin with."

"Now… I can't actually tell ya that." Zeke removed his hat and laid it down on the edge of Mort's desk. "I don't know the area too well ya see, but I can describe the place. We come across a real nice lake about 9 or 10 miles outta town. It was some ways past a cemetery and a few hundred yards or so off the road. I needed to calm down some after that set to with Harper and it was a warm night so we slept out under the stars. You got any objection to that Sheriff?"

"I don't… but I guess Slim Sherman might. That was his land you were on and he put up a sign to warn off trespassers." Mort looked down at the notes on his desk. "I hear all three of you were at the livery stable at around 9 o'clock last night and Ethan Judd was with you. Is that right?"

"Yeah… that's about the time and yeah… Judd was with us. So?"

"Why did he go with you?"

Zeke shrugged. "He said he had some business at the livery and he just walked along with us. You got any problem with us keepin' company with Judd?"

"That depends." Mort studied the sheet of notes again. "You sent Cal off to get himself a beer and said you'd look after the livery while he was gone. Is that right?"

Casually studying the boot resting on his knee, Zeke nodded his assent. "That's about it."

"You told Cal he was to take his time but when Slim Sherman and Jess Harper went over to the livery at about 9:30 the place was empty and the door had been left wide open. Why didn't you wait for Cal to get back?"

"Didn't see no need seein' as Ethan said he'd wait but you got it wrong all ways come Sunday Sheriff. We never said the old man could take his time. He was grumblin' about havin' to drink coffee on a hot night so we told him to go get hisself a beer and bring it back to the livery. I was in no mood for hangin' around waitin' while he got hisself good and drunk."

"Who said he got good and drunk?"

"I'm just guessin'… but if he didn't get hisself drunk why didn't he come back? Either his brains are gettin' a little too old for his job or he's lyin' to keep hisself outta trouble."

Mort fixed Zeke with a stony glare. "Someone played a very nasty trick on Jess Harper last night. Do you know anythin' about it?"

"Nothin' at all Sheriff but they got my undyin' gratitude, whoever it was." Zeke gave a nasty grin. "What'd they do?"

"I'm askin' _you_ the question. Did you, or any of you have anythin' to do with it?"

"You asked if we knewanythin' about it and I already answered ya… nothin' at all." Zeke's grin faded. "What you're askin' now is another question altogether; you're askin' whether we _had_ anythin' to do with it. Well, first off you can answer me. To do with what Sheriff? What trick was it got played on Harper? I can't give you an answer lessen I know what it is we're supposed to've done. Now can I?"

Mort's stony glare turned as cold as ice. "Don't get smart with me Patterson or I'll throw you in a cell for obstruction."

"Whatever it was… I didn't do it and neither did these two. They was with me all night." Zeke allowed his booted foot to slide from his knee and sat forward. "If I'd done somethin' to Harper I would've made sure he didn't survive it. Maybe you'd better ask Judd if he had anythin' to do with it. He ain't any too fond of Harper, either."

"How do you know he did survive it?"

"I don't. Just makin' another guess. You said someone played a trick on him; you didn't say someone killed him. That's somethin' else entirely. When we rode out last night Sheriff, we hadn't seen Harper since the fight." Zeke prided himself on telling the truth occasionally. _Well… they hadn't seen him, had they?_

"Maybe you didn't see him but that doesn't let you off the hook. Was Judd still at the livery stable when you left?"

"Yeah… I already told ya he was. That's why we didn't wait for the old boy."

Mort opened the drawer to his desk and pulling out the leather pouch he threw it down on the desk. "You seen this before?"

Zeke picked it up and looked at it. "Yeah, I reckon I mighta seen it before, or one like it, anyway. One of those things looks much like another and I seen dozens of 'em. Come to think of it, I seen Ethan Judd with a pouch just like that. But whether that's his…? I can't say." Zeke turned and held the pouch out to Billy who got up and took it, studying it. Pete looked over his brother's shoulder.

Billy spoke for the first time. "Like Zeke said, Ethan had one. He kept his tobacco in it." He omitted to mention that it was identical to the pouch he'd kept his own tobacco in.

Zeke took the pouch back from Billy and sniffed it. "Smells of tobacco." He tossed the pouch back down on Mort's desk. "What's this got to do with what happened to Harper?"

"It may have held tobacco once but when Jess found it hanging on his saddle horn last night, a female black widow spider was using it for a nest."

"That sure was a mean trick. Did he get bit?"

"He did. Twice, as it happens." Mort saw a quickly smothered gleam of satisfaction flicker briefly in Zeke's eyes. "So, this pouch doesn't belong to any one of you?"

"Heck no. It ain't mine. Is it yours Billy?"

Billy considered the question. "It ain't mine… Pete?"

Pete shook his head. "Tain't mine, neither."

Mort picked up the pouch and placed it back in the drawer. "Did anyone see you ride out of town last night?"

Zeke shrugged. "We didn't see no one, so I guess no one saw us. Seems like everyone was either still at the dance, or in the saloon."

Mort drew a long deep breath. This was going nowhere. The pouch could have been left in the livery at any time when Cal's attention was distracted by the many visitors to town. Slim had already told him that they'd not been back to the livery stable until the evening, when they'd found the pouch. The only thing Cal could swear to was that he'd left the four men in the livery stable that evening. That, and their own willingness to admit their presence was the only circumstance that tied them to the malicious stunt and without Jess to press charges there seemed no point in continuing.

"I'll give you some advice Patterson and it goes for all of you. I don't know how much longer you intend stayin' in Laramie but I'd cut the visit short if I were you. If it was up to me, I'd hold you on suspicion for a few days and you've got Jess to thank that I don't do just that. He isn't pressin' charges but if you go anywhere near Jess Harper, Evie Emerson, her kid, or even her father's property, I'll throw you in jail and charge you with harassment. You got that?"

"Sure Sheriff… I get it but I already made up my mind to leave Laramie… Evie just ain't worth my time. I've had enough of her lies and I don't wanna fall foul of a dirty back-shootin' gunslinger like Harper. I'm a peaceable kinda fella so we'll be ridin' out later today. Thanks for your hospitality. I'd like to say I enjoyed my stay but I prefer to tell the truth wherever possible."

Zeke rose from the chair, an insolent grin on his face. He held out his hand to Mort but the gesture wasn't returned. Mort held on to his anger with difficulty. "If I wasn't wearin' this badge Patterson, you'd be on the floor right now. You just can't open that big mouth of yours without a lie droppin' out. I don't know what brought about this change of heart or what it's all been about in the first place but I don't believe one word you've said and I don't trust you one little bit. I'll be checkin' to make sure you do ride out."

Zeke dropped his hand and let his grin fade. "You do whatever you like Sheriff. It makes no odds to me. Come on fellas. I reckon our little interview with the Sheriff is over."

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The congregation emerged from the simple white wooden building that served as the Church in Laramie and separated into small groups in the bright sunlight, exchanging news and gossip with friends. Daisy and Evie informed the members of the Women's Group about what had befallen Jess the night before. Many of the other church goers stopped to listen and the shocking news spread rapidly amongst the little gathering.

Jack Bennett came running over to Mike and Ben where they stood waiting with William Emerson "Hey Mike… Ben… Is it true what happened to Jess last night? Was it really Zeke Patterson that done it? My Granpa got bit by one of them critters and he was real sick for a coupla days. How's Jess feelin'?" A few of Mike's other friends joined the group and they moved off into a huddle to hear all about it.

Mike had been quickly bundled into Ben's room to spend the night when Jess had returned to the hotel with Frank but he'd seen how pale and sick Jess was looking and he'd heard from Slim in the morning how Jess had reacted to the venom.

"He was pretty bad. Doc stayed with him most of the night. Slim said Jess'd been bitten before and that was how come he was feelin' so much better by mornin'. Better'n anyone expected, anyway. We're goin' home when we get back to the hotel. Doc told Jess he has to be real careful for a few days though, 'cos he could start feelin' bad again if he doesn't rest up enough."

"Gee… That was a real bad thing Patterson done. It was more'n a week before Gramps was properly over it. I guess it'll take a while before Jess feels right. Will we still be able to come over to your place on Tuesday? It'd be a shame if we can't but if Jess ain't feelin' good…?" Jack ended on a questioning note.

Anxious glances were exchanged amongst the group of boys but Mike was happy to reassure them. "Jess promised Slim he wouldn't overdo it and he told Slim it'd be fine with him if you all came over. He said we could help Slim with changin' the team, seein' as Doc told Jess he wasn't to do it. You're comin' over aren't ya Ben?"

"Oh sure… Ma said she'd bring me over real early so she could have a chat with Daisy. She really likes it here in Laramie. She's got more friends already than I do."

As Daisy and Evie said their farewells to the remaining members of the women's group, Jack was called away by his mother and the group of boys broke up, all of them promising to meet up again at the Sherman ranch early on the Tuesday morning.

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Ethan sat at a table toward the rear of Ben Dooley's saloon nursing an empty beer glass. What he'd just now learned from Julie hadn't made him feel too good about the events of the past couple of weeks, or about himself for that matter. He'd also heard all about Zeke's little set-to at the dance including what Harper had said about Zeke. _Maybe I oughta just cut and run… leave Laramie for good. I ain't doin' too good here since I did that favour for that no-good rustlin' friend of mine_. _I reckon I just ain't too good at pickin' friends._ It came hard to Ethan to discover he'd been taken in by a pack of lies and Zeke wasn't just a liar he was far, far worse and the two Yates boys weren't much better. _How could they know somethin' like that about a man and still ride with him?_ Ethan knew he wasn't the most law-abiding citizen in Laramie, but he could honestly say he'd never been guilty of ill-treating a woman, not even a saloon girl and certainly not a little kid. The thought made him feel sick to his stomach. _I ain't overly fond of em… but that kid of Julie's ain't even six years old._

A sudden commotion made him look over to the door. Zeke had pushed through the swing doors followed by Billy and Pete and several of the regulars had stood up threateningly as the three men entered.

"Easy there, me lads. Settle down now will ye…?" Tom, the Irish barman had his shotgun trained on the group. "We're not wantin' any trouble in here, now are we?" He turned to an auburn-haired saloon girl standing at the bar. "Sadie, me darlin'… run and find Ben and bring him here, will ye."

Sadie hurried toward the door at the back of the saloon and Tom gestured at Zeke with the rifle. "Over by the wall, wit' ye 'til Ben gets here and I'd be mightily obliged if ye'd all three unbuckle those gun belts and throw them down over here."

Zeke stood his ground but as Ben emerged from the back room, gun in hand, he held his hands away from his gun belt a defiant expression on his face.

"You'd better do as Tom told ya, or I won't hesitate to use this. Sadie…" He spoke over his shoulder to the saloon girl still hovering behind him in the doorway. "Go up to their rooms and bring down all their gear. Give her a hand will you Annie?" The two girls ran quickly up the stairway, only too pleased to carry out Tom's request.

"You can toss over those guns now and I'll let you have 'em back when you're ready to leave. Give 'em a hand, Tom. They seem to be havin' a bit of trouble understandin' plain English."

Zeke's hand hovered a fraction too close to the holster as he lowered it toward his gun belt and a bullet from Ben's gun narrowly missed him, burying itself in the door frame behind him. He gave Ben a puzzled look. "What the hell is this all about?"

Ben gave Zeke a contemptuous sneer. "You mean you really don't know? Perhaps you oughta ask Julie, or maybe her little kid? You overstepped the mark here. This saloon doesn't have the best reputation in Laramie, but I draw the line at some things. You three ain't too welcome anymore and that wasn't an accidental miss, you understand. I wasn't always a saloon owner and if you want me to prove I can get the next bullet just that little bit closer, I'm willin'. Just give me the excuse."

Billy and Pete standing beside Zeke, unbuckled their gun belts and handed them over to Tom. Ben gestured with his gun and Zeke hastily unbuckled his belt and handed it over to the Irishman. "Look… we're leavin' town anyway; we only came to get our things."

"Oh, you're leavin' all right… And if you ever come back to Laramie don't even think about settin' foot on the boardwalk outside my place. My girls do what they're paid to do but that don't entitle you to knock 'em around or mess with Julie's kid. Ain't none of us too happy about that and it's pretty much all round Laramie that this probably ain't the first time you've tried it. And another thing… Jess Harper ain't a regular here but when he visits he treats my girls like real ladies and I can tell you they ain't too happy about what happened to Jess." Zeke opened his mouth to protest but Ben cut him off. "Shut your mouth Patterson! Whatever you got to say, I don't believe ya. I'm doin' you a real favour here, ya know. You're like to get tarred and feathered if you don't get out real quick. Now, turn around and face the door. Empty their guns Tom." The rattle of bullets on the floor of the saloon accompanied the sound of Sadie and Annie coming hurriedly down the stairs, their arms loaded with the items that Zeke and the two brothers had left in their rooms.

"Good girls. Just throw it all out onto the street. They can pick it up when they leave."

Zeke was white-faced with anger as he watched their belongings being tossed out the door but there was nothing he could do as Tom's shotgun urged him forward, except to go back out onto the street with Billy and Pete. Ben followed them and watched while they gathered up their dust-covered belongings and stuffed them in the saddle bags they'd brought with them from the livery.

Tom threw their gun belts and empty guns several feet up the street watched by several of the curious citizens of Laramie as well as by an amused Mort Cory from the doorway of his office.

"Now get walkin'." Ben made his point by aiming the gun at Zeke. "You can pick up the rest of your gear when you get to it but don't bother stopping to reload your guns. Look back even once and I won't miss this time."

The three men walked hastily up to where their gun belts and weapons lay in the dusty street and picking them up they carried on up the street to the livery stable.

Ben watched for a while and then he followed Tom back into the saloon. He looked around the room. There were quite a few of his regulars in the saloon and there was plenty of discussion going on about what had taken place and why. He made a quiet comment to Tom before returning to the back room. Tom put his shotgun back behind the bar. "Ben's apologies to ye all for that little bit of unpleasantness. Now me lads… if ye'll tell me what you're drinkin', it'll be on Ben."

As the regulars began to settle back to their drinking and card games, Mort walked through the swing doors and up to the bar, asking Tom for an explanation of what he'd just witnessed. Tom could tell a good story when he wanted and Mort was put in possession of every detail, including the reason for Ben's actions. Mort grinned to himself. The story of Zeke's humiliation at Ben's hands would give Jess and Evie a great deal of satisfaction. There was some justice in the world after all and he couldn't have meted it out better himself.

Ethan watched Mort warily. _Maybe I should've left when I had the chance_. Mort picked up the coffee Tom poured for him and walked over to Ethan's table.

"Mind if I join you Ethan?" Mort didn't wait for a reply. He placed his coffee on the table and sat down.

"What is it you want Sheriff?" Ethan was more than a little nervous but he hoped he'd managed to sound casual.

"I think you already have a pretty good idea of why I'm here." Taking a sip of coffee, Mort leaned back in his chair and looked around the room. "I seem to have missed out on Zeke's abrupt departure."

"Yeah… It's a real shame you missed it, Sheriff." Ethan relaxed a little. "Zeke just got his come-uppance. Ben handed it out real good."

"Tom just told me all about it. Jess'll get a real kick out of it when I tell him." Mort noted the slight widening of Ethan's eyes when he mentioned Jess.

Ethan recovered himself. "Ben used to be a deputy. Did ya know that? Somewheres up in Montana so I heard."

"Yes, I know just what of deputy Ben was… but I didn't come here to discuss Ben's former occupation. I'm surprised to find you so pleased to see the back of Zeke? I had the impression you were gettin' on quite well with him." The Sheriff didn't fail to notice Ethan's nervousness return. "What were you doin' over at the livery yesterday evenin'?"

"Nothin'… I weren't doin' nothin'. Zeke and the other two went over there for their horses and I just went with 'em".

"Scared to go on their own, were they? Why would they decide to go out of town at that time of night? And before you answer that, I ought to tell you they tried to put you in the frame for what happened to Jess Harper last night. They said you told them you had business over at the livery stable and when they left, you were still there."

Ethan turned pale. "Look… I never had anythin' to do with what happened to Jess. It was all Zeke's idea." Realising he'd said too much, Ethan decided it was time to bend the truth to his own advantage. "Zeke said he needed to cool down 'cos of his fight with Harper and he was gonna take a ride out of town. He asked me to show him which horse at the livery was Harper's. I thought it was a bit strange he wanted to know that but I went over with 'em and I pointed out Harper's horse. I didn't know what they was gonna do. It was Billy as got that critter in the pouch and hung it on Harper's saddle horn."

"So, you know about the pouch then. Zeke and Billy told me that pouch was yours." Watching for Ethan's reaction, Mort paused briefly. "They said you kept your tobacco in it. They also said you had a grudge against Jess and I know that to be the truth."

"I don't even smoke…!" Ethan's expression was one of comical indignation. "You know there's bad blood between me and Harper. I just turned a blind eye to what they was doin'."

Mort nodded and took another sip of his coffee. "I guessed that was pretty much what happened. But you didn't do anythin' to stop 'em when you knew what they had planned and you didn't think to warn Jess, did you?"

"No… I didn't. He's OK though ain't he?" Ethan stared into his untouched glass of beer "I swear Sheriff, I didn't know Zeke was lyin' when I first got talkin' to him. Julie set me straight about him this mornin'. I'm real sorry for what he put Julie and that girl Evie through."

"Sorry isn't always enough Ethan and I doubt you're sorry about what they did to Jess. He _is_ OK, yes. But he had a pretty bad night and that's puttin' it mildly. He could've died and then I would've been arrestin' you on a charge of accessory to murder."

"You can't arrest me… I didn't do nothin'." Ethan stood up abruptly but Mort waved him down.

"No… I can't arrest you, more's the pity… but that's only because Jess is refusin' to press any charges. If I had my way you'd all of you be locked up." Mort raised a cynical eyebrow. "You're always complainin' about that job haulin' timber, Ethan. Maybe it's time you found work elsewhere. You ain't gonna get anythin' better in Laramie now. You were a good ranch hand until you got yourself mixed up with that crew of rustlers…" Ethan opened his mouth to argue. "…and don't try and tell me you had nothin' to do with that either. You're a little too fond of turnin' a blind eye. You were complicit in both cases. The only reason you got off the hook before is because there was insufficient evidence against you. Don't you think it's time you stopped blamin' Jess for what happened? It was your own darn fault and you know it."

Ethan's pale face turned red. He fiddled with the beer glass for a few minutes and then looked up at the Sheriff. "I'm sayin' nothin' about that one way or the other but I guess Harper did what he thought was right. I'd about made up my mind it was time to move on Sheriff, but give me a few days to sort things out, would ya? Lessen you want me to go right now?"

"That was a real mean trick those three played on Jess and to my mind you're as guilty as they are but I reckon if you hadn't gotten yourself involved with Zeke you wouldn't have made any attempt to get back at Jess. I've got a good reason to tell you to leave now but I'll give you a few days."

"Thanks Sheriff." Ethan took a sip of beer. "Look… I don't know if this'll help you any but I reckon those three had another reason to be in Laramie. I'm pretty sure they was meetin' up with someone. Now… I don't know who and I don't know where but I seen 'em ridin' out of town a few days before the shootin' contest with a load of supplies and it was a whole lot more'n three men'd need for a week. They was gone more'n half a day 'cos I saw 'em come back. I reckon they got somethin' planned. Maybe that's where they went last night."

Mort downed the last of his coffee. "My thanks for that Ethan. It does tie in with somethin' Jess suggested earlier. I hope you find yourself some better work and this time make sure you stick to it. Why don't you try the Shiloh Ranch out near Medicine Bow? It's not that far from Laramie but it's far enough to keep you out of Jess's hair. Judge Garth is a fair man and he's always willin' to give a man a second chance." He rose from his seat and made his way straight to the hotel, determined to catch Slim and Jess before they went back to the ranch.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12 – The Best Laid Plans…

Mort sat in the Sheriff's office, going through the official mail and the latest batch of wanted posters that Lon brought over. It was early, not yet 8 o'clock but the sounds drifting through the open door of Mort's office indicated that the main street of Laramie was already bustling. Lon had arrived a few minutes ago and was busy putting together the makings of a pot of coffee.

"I hope you're brewin' that coffee good and strong Lon."

Lon hesitated as he was about to put the coffee pot on the stove to brew. "I always make it strong, but I never yet managed to make it as strong as you like it." He added another half spoon of coffee for good measure. "That oughta be strong enough even for you. The only person I know in Laramie who can drink the coffee you make is Jess and I doubt he'll be callin' in to see you yet awhile."

"I'm just pullin' your leg Lon. Your coffee's always good. I wonder how Jess is feelin'?" It had been two days since Jess had been driven back to the Sherman ranch in the buckboard. "I'd like to know what Slim and Jess have to say about that payroll run Amos told us about last night. How about we take a ride out there and talk to 'em when we've had coffee. I wish Amos had let us know about this sooner. It's a bit late to do much about it now.

Lon shrugged. "I guess Amos thought the extra guards were protection enough. He did say the clerk they suspected was sacked before they arranged it. If anyone does try and hold up that stage, they ain't gonna know about the extra guards."

As he scanned through the wanted posters, Mort frowned. "No Lon, they won't and if Zeke did meet up with someone else and they got somethin' planned, that somethin's more'n likely to be the payroll. It would certainly explain why he turned up in Laramie and as far as that payroll is concerned, I strongly object to leavin' it solely in the hands of the extra guards."

Lon was about to reply when a tall young man knocked politely on the open door. Mort looked up. "We don't stand on ceremony here, son. The door's open… just come on in." Mort caught a glimpse of two large, grey wolf-like dogs standing on the boardwalk behind the young man. "Those two critter's with you?"

The young man stepped into Mort's office and the dogs settled down on the edge of the boardwalk. "They are Sheriff, but they won't be any trouble, I promise you. They won't make a move until I tell 'em, or until someone interferes with my horse or my gear."

"I think your belongings are safe enough out there with those two to guard 'em. We'll leave the door open and you can keep an eye on things anyway. We're makin' the most of the cool mornin' air before it turns into another sultry day." Mort indicated the chair and the young man sat down.

Lon brought across two steaming mugs of coffee and put them down on the desk before taking his own coffee out onto the boardwalk. The two dogs looked him over intently as he stood surveying the busy street and then, deciding he posed no threat, they relaxed again.

Mort studied the dusty young man. "I don't think I've seen you in town before. Your name wouldn't happen to be Danny would it? You look as if you could've ridden all the way from Texas."

"You're real well informed, Sheriff. I have ridden all the way from Texas through New Mexico and Colorado but I did manage to stop off and have a bath or two along the way. How d'ya know my name? You haven't had a wire from Ned Aimes in Boulder have you?"

Mort gave him an amused smile. "Now why would I get a wire from Sheriff Aimes about you? You haven't been gettin' into trouble I hope? I don't reckon Evie'd be too pleased about that. No… A young shaver called Ben told me all about his friend Danny, the Texas Ranger and his two dogs. Ben's been real impatient for you to get here. But you didn't exactly take the shortest route. Why d'ya go through New Mexico and just what've you been up to in Boulder?"

"Well, seein' as you've met Evie and Ben's told you all about me I guess you know what brings me to Laramie. I would've been here sooner but I've been tryin' to pick up the trail of a couple of men wanted in connection with robbery and murder. I'm hopin' to find three others who aren't wanted but who I reckon were involved in the same robbery. There's another suspect but I don't have a lot of information on him." Settling back in his chair Danny related to Mort the reason for the route he'd taken and how he'd managed to trace the fugitives to Boulder. He gave Mort a description of both Charlie and Steve and then of Zeke and the two Yates brothers. "I'm hopin' you might've seen one of 'em."

"I haven't seen hide nor hair of Charlie Baines or Steve Wilkins, but Zeke and his two friends were here and they've stirred up a lot of trouble in Laramie over the last couple of weeks. I'll tell you all about that later. We managed to get shot of the three of 'em on Sunday, but I have good reason to believe they may have met up with someone else while they were in Laramie and I reckon it might be the two fugitives you've been trailin'. I've got a pretty good idea they're still in the area and I reckon they've got somethin' planned. What about this other suspect? Got a name?"

"No… I know there was a sixth man involved. I had a description of him but I don't have a name. I only recognised Zeke and the other two from the description because I knew Evie."

"Now, you might find this interesting Danny. I heard from the stage company about a payroll comin' in on the stage from Cheyenne. It's due here later today. There's been a couple of robberies along the Overland route lately. It seems the manager in Cheyenne found out recently that one of their clerks had a prison record. They sacked him right away but since the robberies started, they think he could've been givin' out information. He would've known about the previous shipments as well as the one expected today. I have a description of two of the outlaws who carried out the earlier robberies and it matches what you gave me for Charlie Baines and Steve Wilkins."

"Are there any passengers on that stage? If there are, they're at risk. Baines shot and killed a lawman in Santa Fe. He won't hesitate to kill someone else now."

Mort shook his head. "There are no passengers on this run. The stage company decided to put four extra guards on today's shipment and they transferred the passengers to the next stage out. Me and my deputy Lon are ridin' out to the relay station as soon as we've finished up this coffee. I want a word with the two men who run it. Slim and Jess have a ranch about 12 miles outside town and they run the relay station as well. Now, I just happen to know that a certain young woman was plannin' on takin' her son Ben over to their ranch this mornin' to spend the day with some of his new friends."

An eager grin lit up Danny's face. "Mind if I ride along with you?"

Mort drained his mug of coffee. "I thought you might ask me that. I'll tell you all about what's been goin' on around here on the way to the Sherman ranch and if you're gonna settle down here you need to meet Slim and Jess. Hey Lon! You finished that coffee yet?"

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On the morning Mike's friends came to visit, Jess insisted he was fit enough to handle the team change with Slim while Mike and his friends tended to the extensive and varied menagerie Mike kept at the back of the small ranch house. Slim was doubtful of the veracity of this statement, but he and Daisy were finding it hard to confine Jess to light duties and he was tired of arguing with his stubborn partner.

"I tell ya Slim… I'm fine. I've been sittin' around since we got back from town two days ago and I've had just about enough of it." Jess had endured two days of enforced recuperation from the effects of the spider venom, and had been forced to admit that although the worst symptoms had disappeared within 24 hours, he was unable to throw off the lethargy that had afflicted him since being bitten. Anything other than light activity tended to bring on a milder form of the initial symptoms, but despite this his forbearance was wearing thin and he was impatient to get back to his active routine. "Mike's a good kid. He's helped out a lot the last coupla days and he's earned some fun with his friends. I don't want those boys spendin' all their free time on my chores."

Slim turned from harnessing the replacement team and took a long look at his partner. "Jess… I don't have the energy to argue with you anymore. Help out if you want, but just for the 9 o'clock stage. I've got Ben Stokes comin' over to lend a hand later this mornin'. Just don't blame me if you start feelin' bad again."

Jess's boyish grin spread across his face and he clapped a hand on Slim's shoulder. "I'll be OK pard." He strolled back across the yard to where Mike and his friends had been splitting some of the smaller logs for kindling. "Hey there, Tiger." He ruffled Mike's hair. "I reckon you boys got enough kindlin' there to last us 'til Christmas. Why don't ya go see to your critters?"

"Don't ya want us to help Slim out with changin' the team?"

Jess shook his head. "Nah… we can manage Tiger. You boys have some fun."

Squinting up at Jess, Mike had an uncertain look on his face. "I thought Doc said you weren't to do anythin' st… sten… er…"

"Strenuous, Tiger… The word's strenuous. I ain't gonna do anythin' real hard. I'll let ole hardrock do all that stuff an' I'll just hold the team steady." Jess turned to walk back around to the front of the cabin. He hesitated, looking back at Mike and the boys. "Just clear up all the chippin's and go see to your critters."

Jess was looking tired and pale by the time the stage had been sent on its way, and Slim restrained himself from saying 'I told you so'. Despite feeling exhausted Jess protested when Daisy insisted he take a half-hour rest on the porch. Evie, who had stayed to spend the day with Daisy after bringing her young son over, added her weight to the edict and Jess had been overruled.

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The squawking chickens flapped their way through the dust cloud stirred up by the departing stage as Slim walked lazily back to the cabin from the barn where he'd left the dusty tack to be cleaned later. Jess sat on the porch in the morning sun with a cup of coffee clasped in his hands, his head resting wearily against the back of the chair. _Darn, stubborn, muleheaded…_ _that's what Jess is. Well, he's only got himself to blame. Maybe I should've put my foot down but sometimes you just gotta let him find out for himself._ He walked around to the back of the cabin where Mike and his friends were feeding the final member of Mike's small zoo.

The boys looked up as he approached. "Hi there, Slim." Jack enjoyed helping out at the Sherman ranch. His father kept the feed and grain store but Jack intended to learn all he could about ranching. Maybe even have his own ranch one day. "Anythin' else we can do for ya?"

Slim shook his head. "You boys are here to enjoy yourselves today, like Jess said. No need for you to do any chores, just go off and show Ben around."

The boys looked toward Jack as their spokesman. "Well, Mrs. Cooper and Ben's Ma said they'd get some trail supplies together for us but they're still busy clearin' up after the stage passengers. Jess wasn't lookin' too good after the stage left, so we thought we could help out for a while." The boys nodded in agreement as Jack spoke.

"Sure Slim. We could clean the tack?" Mike suggested. "It'd only take a half-hour and Aunt Daisy and Evie might've got our stuff ready by then."

Slim looked doubtful. "Well, Ben Stokes'd probably do that chore, or it'd be somethin' Jess could do later. He's feelin' a bit restless right now, not bein' able to do much and cleanin' the tack wouldn't wear him out too much."

The boys looked disappointed but then Mike's face brightened. "What if we cleaned out the stalls in the barn Slim? That's real hard work. Ben don't usually touch the barn and it'd be too much for Jess. There's six of us and we could do it in no time."

Slim couldn't help smiling to himself. Cleaning out the stalls was Mike's least favourite job but having his friends to help turned it into a game. "Well, it'd be a real help to get that out of the way. I don't wanna work you boys too hard but…"

Various exclamations of delight cut him off and Mike led his friends in a race toward the barn.

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Mike finished putting fresh hay down in Traveller's stall. The boys had been only too pleased to help out. For most of them ranch work was a novelty and it was much more fun than helping out in the house, or in their family business.

"I reckon Aunt Daisy'll have our supplies ready by now. I'll go check." Mike took a quick look across the yard. "Hey fellas… Jess is comin' over. You all done?"

There was a general murmur of affirmation as they picked up the various dropped tools and leaned them up against the corner of the barn, where they'd found them earlier. Jack noticed the pitchfork lying in the corner of one of the empty stalls partially covered in clean straw, and he grabbed it up just as Jess strolled into the barn and looked around in surprise.

"Daisy sent me to find ya. She was wonderin' where you boys'd got to. You clear this up all by yourselves?" A chorus of agreement rose from the group of boys and Jess smiled in amusement. "Well, I reckon ya should be real proud of yourselves. Maybe Slim and me oughta give ya all a permanent job and we can put our feet up on the porch all day."

"That'd suit me, Mr. Harper." Jack said.

The boys looked at each other, well satisfied with the results of their labour and pleased at Jess's praise.

"Are you feelin' any better now, Jess? You sure didn't look too good earlier on." The other boys glared at Will and Mike could've kicked him. Jess hated having to admit to any sort of weakness. Especially to a bunch of boys. They all knew that, and so should Will.

Jess gave an embarrassed grimace. "I'm fine Will… just a mite tired is all. You boys are supposed to be havin' fun today, not spendin' your time doin' jobs around here. I reckon you've all done more'n enough to earn some free time. What've you got in mind for the rest of the day Jack?"

Jack leaned the pitch fork against the side of the barn with the other tools. "We thought we'd take Ben to see your lake, maybe do a bit of fishin' and then go up to the cave just beyond the foothills."

"Sounds like a real good plan but just make sure you stick to it." Jess walked out to the corral where his horse was rolling in the dust. He was followed by the crowd of boys. "Better go see Daisy and Evie. They got some biscuits and lemonade for ya. It's gonna be another hot and sticky day, so make sure ya take some full canteens too and don't go wanderin' off any further than the caves. I reckon we might be in for another storm later on."

"Sure Jess." Mike was hoping for a jar of lemonade and some of Daisy's biscuits to take with them. "Come on fellas. Let's go see Aunt Daisy." The boys ran off toward the cabin leaving a large dust cloud in their wake.

Daisy finished packing up enough supplies to keep six hungry boys going for the better half of a day. "Now, you mind what you get up to and make sure it's the lake and the caves you go exploring, not the canyons. And Mike…?"

"Yes, Aunt Daisy?"

"I expect you and Jack to look after the younger boys." She ruffled his blond hair. "Now, off you go and have a good time."

"We will Aunt Daisy and we'll take good care of Ben, too." Mike and Jack picked up the two bags Daisy had packed for them and waited with the other boys by the door as Ben took leave of his mother.

"Have a good day now and you mind what Mike and Jack tell you." Evie gave Ben a brief hug and watched as her young son ran joyfully out to where Mike and his other friends were gathering up their fishing gear. "I do hope they'll be all right."

"Oh, they'll be fine. Mike knows how to look after himself and Jack always looks out for the younger boys." Daisy put an arm around Evie's shoulders. "Now come and talk to me while I get together the ingredients for the apple pies I promised the boys."

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An hour later, the boys were sprawled on the grass beside the lake exchanging fishing stories and tales of their adventures. Their fishing tackle lay abandoned on the grass beside them. Jack had gathered together a pile of pebbles and he sat up and tossed a few into the water one by one.

Mike grabbed a flat one and tried to skim it. "Why don't we show Ben that cave now? The one that outlaw hid out in last winter? The fish aren't feedin' right now anyway and maybe we can do a bit more fishin' later on after we've looked around the cave. You wanna see the cave Ben?"

"Sure, I'd like that but what's 'the canyons'? Your Aunt Daisy said we weren't to go to the canyons."

"Oh… That's a real good place to explore." Will looked around at the other boys. "It'd be much more fun than that old cave. Why don't we go there? I bet they ain't got anythin' like that in Texas."

"But what is it?" Ben's curiosity had been aroused. If it was somewhere adults didn't approve of children playing, it was probably a lot of fun.

Mike gave Will a look that said he should've kept quiet. "It's a whole load of steep rocky mountains and canyons and it's full of old caves and mine shafts. It's not that far from the ranch but it's real dangerous around there. I went explorin' on my own once and I fell down a hole. I promised Aunt Daisy I wouldn't go there on my own again."

"But you wouldn't be on your own this time." Will was unrepentant for having mentioned it in front of Ben. "There's six of us."

Ben's interest was piqued. "How deep was the hole Mike? And how'd you get out?"

"It was real deep. I was lookin' for the stranger when I fell down an old mine shaft that'd never got finished. I couldn't get out by myself but the stranger hauled me out. I was lucky he saw me fall or I might've been there still."

"Who's the stranger?" This was getting more interesting by the minute for Ben.

Mike told the story of Emil Viktor and how he'd come to be living in the steep and rugged mountains near the Sherman ranch, killing Slim's cattle to feed his family and leaving gold pieces to pay for them. "Slim and Jess helped clear Emil and Sheriff Madox turned out to be the real killer."

"Hey…!" Will sat up. "That cabin Emil Viktor's wife was livin' in… It's the old Wincanyon place, ain't it? We could get to that through the canyons and if a storm does get up we could go and shelter there 'til it passes over. It wouldn't hurt just to take a look would it?"

A chorus of approval was voiced by all the boys except Mike and Jack.

Jack looked doubtful. "You heard what Mrs Cooper said and we don't wanna get Mike into trouble. Slim and Jess wouldn't be too happy if he went against 'em and we might not be allowed to visit again." Jack had a secret hope that when he was older he might get a weekend job at the Sherman ranch and he didn't want to spoil his chances.

Ben looked pleadingly at Jack and Mike. "Couldn't we just be real careful? I'd sure like to see the canyons. Couldn't we go there after we've seen the cave?"

One of the other boys smirked. "If you're scared Jack, maybe you'd…"

"I ain't scared Otis." Jack was indignant. "I just don't wanna get Mike or Ben in trouble. Anyway, me and Mike're supposed to be lookin' out for ya. Still… I guess if we stick to the main trail through the canyons and don't go climbin' around in the rocks, it'd be OK. Whadd'ya reckon Mike?"

Mike thought for a few minutes. "I guess it'd be all right. I promised I wouldn't go climbin' around in the rocks any more. That's where the mine shafts are but I didn't say I wouldn't go to the old Wincanyon place and that's only about a half- hour from the cave. As long as we all stick together and don't do any climbin' around it'll be OK but don't any of you ever let on that's where we went. Jess'll tan my hide if he finds out."

Will let out a holler. "Hooeee! OK fellas… the canyons it is! Let's go then! You know the place best Mike. You'd better lead the way."

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Jess sat in the shade of the porch on one of the rocking chairs from the cabin. Daisy and Evie had badgered him to rest until he'd given in. He was bored just sitting around but he knew they were right. His arm and hand were still troubling him and the heat seemed to be sapping his usual energy and bringing back the bad headache that had been one of the symptoms of the spider bite.

Evie and Daisy sat nearby, shelling peas. "I wonder what those boys are gettin' up to?" Evie emptied a handful of peas into the bowl on her lap.

The sweat started to trickle down Jess's forehead into his eyes and he removed his hat and wiped it away with the sleeve of his shirt. "They won't be catchin' much fish in this heat. Not until it cools down this evenin'."

"I just hope they aren't up to _too_ much mischief." Picking up another handful of pea pods from the bowl on the boards between her and Evie, Daisy looked toward the road. "Is that someone coming? There's a lot of dust up there."

Jess jammed his had back on his head and stood up squinting in the direction of the road. "Hey, Slim!" He called out. "We got visitors! Slim!"

Slim came from around the back of the cabin. "What's all the noise, Jess? Who's comin'? Might be a tribe of Comanche with all the fuss you're makin'."

"I ain't makin' no fuss. Just ain't sure who it is and my gun hand ain't any too good at the moment." He shaded his eyes with his hand as three riders came into view, followed by what looked like two large grey wolves. "Looks like Mort and Lon but I don't know the other rider." He broke into a boyish grin. "Are they bein' chased by those things? Wait a minute…? Didn't Ben say somethin' about Danny havin' two dogs?"

Evie stood up abruptly, nearly toppling the bowl of peas from her lap. "Oh! Oh my!" She smoothed down her dress nervously. "Danny! It's Danny! Daisy… it's Danny…"

As the riders reined in their horses, Evie put down the bowl of shelled peas on the porch and ran forward. The ex-ranger jumped down from his horse and held out his arms to her as everyone looked on. Danny picked Evie up and swung her round in a circle, before pulling her toward him in a hug.

"D'ya reckon that might be Danny?" Slim asked Jess with dry humour. "I'm real sorry pard… Looks like she ain't confused anymore. You win some you lose some I guess."

"Yeah… I reckon you're right Slim." Jess felt a twinge of sadness. _It ain't as if I'd fallen in love with Evie… but there sure was somethin' good between us. I suppose…_ Shrugging, Jess gave a wry smile. "I guess the matter ain't in any doubt now."

Puzzled, Daisy looked curiously from Slim to Jess. "What are you two talking about? You knew Evie had accepted a proposal from Danny, didn't you?"

Jess dipped his head regretfully. "It's a long story Daisy." He walked forward as the three men led their horses over to the porch rail, Evie linking arms with Danny. Jess took one look at Mort's face and knew there was trouble looming. "You didn't come out here just to bring Danny to see Evie, did ya Mort?"

"As it happens Jess, I didn't." Mort tied his mount's reins to the rail.

Daisy stepped down from the porch. "Before you get to discussing that, why don't you all come inside out of the sun. I made some lemonade earlier for Mike and the boys but there's plenty left."

Mort shook his head. "I'm afraid we don't have time for that Daisy. I need a word with Slim and Jess but time's real short."

Jess studied Mort's face. "I've been expectin' you to ride over and tell me there's trouble brewin' ever since Zeke left town. So, what is it Mort?"

"Amos called in last night and told me about a payroll comin' through here this afternoon on the stage. Apparently, the manager over in Cheyenne is expectin' trouble and there's four armed guards aboard instead of the original passengers. Danny here rode in early this mornin'. He's been trailin' two fugitives all the way from Texas and Ned Aimes over in Boulder told him they'd met up there with Zeke and Billy Yates a few weeks ago. Why don't you tell 'em what you told me, Danny?"

Danny related his story again for the benefit of Slim and Jess and when he'd finished, Evie gave him a reproachful look. "You said you'd resigned from the Texas Rangers Danny."

"I have Evie. I'm not here officially, but you know we'd been lookin' for 'em. I just thought as I was comin' here anyway, I'd start from where we lost their trail and ask a few questions along the way to see if they'd decided to escape the law by headin' North. Seems I was right, but I guess they decided to try their luck at somethin' along the way, and that somethin' just turns out to be right here in Laramie. I just planned on lettin' the local law handle things if I found any trace of 'em, but…"

"But what, Danny?" Evie couldn't hide her disappointment. "Now you've found them you'll try and bring them in, won't you?"

"It's not up to me to do that Evie. I'm not a Ranger now, but you don't expect me to stand by and leave Mort and Lon to do this by themselves, do you?" Danny caught hold of her hand. "That wouldn't be right Evie. Surely you can see that? 'Sides, you heard what Mort said. There's four extra guards on that stage. We aren't fixin' to stop Charlie Baines and his crew before they rob the stage. We're just ridin' out that way to help the guards bring 'em in. I reckon it'll all be over by the time we get there. The stage company didn't reckon on there bein' more'n two outlaws and there ain't room on the stage for too many prisoners. There's at least five of 'em and maybe more."

Evie resigned herself to the inevitable. "You're right Danny and I'm sorry. I just worry about you. Promise me you'll be careful."

"I will Evie. I will. Where's that young shaver of yours?"

"Oh… he's off exploring a cave with his new school friends and Mike. Mike is…"

"I'm sorry to butt in Evie, but I'm afraid you'll have to do all your catching up later." Mort checked his pocket watch a little impatiently. "Slim, do you and Jess have any idea where they might make their move?"

Jess looked thoughtful. "Didn't Ethan tell you that when Zeke took the supplies out of town he was gone for half a day? There's one abandoned place that's still habitable partway through the canyons and that's the old Wincanyon place. There's a disused trail runs down to the road. It's about a hundred yards from the back of the cabin and it's hard to find unless you know where it starts. It ain't too far on horseback. It comes out a hundred yards or so further down from where the road crosses through the far end of the canyons."

The muscle in Slim's jaw twitched. "I know where you mean Jess. The stage comes out of that canyon right at the top of a steep rise and the road bends round on itself. It's a blind spot for the stage driver. I reckon that'd be the most likely place if they were gonna try for the stage."

"Yeah Slim. You got it. That stage is due here around 2 o'clock and it ain't likely to be delayed much this time of year, unless we get more rain. That canyon's about five miles from here and that puts the stage there at around 1 o'clock."

Mort checked his watch again. "Nigh on noon already. If we take the main road, we should meet up with the stage at some point, but we need to be makin' a move."

Jess started toward the barn and Mort's eyebrows rose. "Hold on there Jess! Just where do you think you're goin'?"

"Slim and me are goin' with you. You'll need some back-up. There's no tellin' how many men Charlie Baines has with him. If you get there before the stage, you'll have to take 'em on yourself."

Mort shook his head. "I'm sorry Jess. Slim'll be goin' with us but not you. Not this time."

Jess opened his mouth to argue but Slim put a restraining hand on his shoulder and gave his partner an apologetic look. "Mort's right Jess. I hate to say it but you'll just be a liability. You can't draw that gun of yours at any speed right now and you're more'n likely to drop it the way that hand of yours was this mornin'."

For a moment Slim could see Jess's fiery nature warring with his good sense but suddenly the tension went out of him. "I reckon I can't argue with that Slim but I don't like it. Just take care will ya?" Jess stayed talking with Mort, Lon and Danny while Slim whistled Alamo over from the far side of the corral and led him into the barn.

He returned several minutes later and as the men mounted up, the dogs who had been lolling quietly on the ground by the horses leapt up eagerly as if sensing a chase was in the offing. Jess waved his hand toward them. "Those dogs of yours look as if they're more'n ready for a fight, Danny. If I remember rightly Zeke don't take too kindly to dogs. You watch he don't take a shot at 'em."

"I'll do that, Jess." Danny pulled his horse around toward the road. "We'll see you later."

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The mid-morning sun seemed to burn even hotter between the walls of the canyons as the heat reflected back from the rocks. Little relief from the humid heat was afforded by the sparse patches of cottonwood trees and scrub oak which intermingled with the taller spruce trees. The boys had stopped for a drink of lemonade in the shade of a large pile of rocks. Ben stood up and looked up the trail. "How far is it now Mike?"

Mike passed the jar of lemonade to Jack and wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt. "Only about another five minutes. Come on… let's get goin'. It'll be cooler in the cabin."

Jack nearly choked on his mouthful of lemonade. "What's the rush Mike? Me and Will ain't had a drink yet. Wait up a bit will ya?"

"You can catch us up." Mike laughed at Jack's indignant expression and urged the boys up the trail toward the old Wincanyon place, leaving Jack and Will to take a hasty drink of lemonade and gather up the bags Daisy had packed for them.

Mike led Ben and the other boys around the last bend in the trail before the cabin. Where the trail swung round to the left, following the rocky side of the canyon, it formed a wide clearing in the middle of which sat the cabin. Behind the cabin, the left-hand side of the canyon curved round to the right again, leading further down through a narrow gap, to the trail that Jess had spoken of earlier.

"This is it Ben." Mike told the younger boy. "Come on, let's take a look around." In their haste, the boys failed to notice the smell of wood smoke in the air. They ran toward the cabin shouting to each other and then stopped short as a man with a rifle came around from the back of the cabin.

"Well, hi there boys." Jeb aimed the rifle in the direction of the four boys. "Noisy bunch, ain't ya? And just Whadd'ya think you're doin' here?"

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Jack and Will left the fishing rods lying by the rocks and hurried up the trail after Mike and the three other boys. The sound of the boys' voices up ahead trailed away to sudden silence and Jack stopped, holding up his hand to halt the younger boy. "Hey, Will. D'ya smell somethin?"

Will sniffed the air. "Smell what, Jack?"

"I can smell wood smoke." He sniffed again.

"So what…? Everyone burns wood around here." Will started to move forward again but Jack stopped him.

"Wait up Will and keep quiet!" He hissed. "Sure, they burn wood, but there shouldn't _be_ anyone burnin' it around _here_." The sound of another deeper voice reached them. It was a man's voice. One they didn't recognise.

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"We ain't doin' nothin' Mister." Otis found his voice. "School's out and we're just explorin'."

Another man came out of the front door of the cabin. He was a swarthy mean-looking man and Mike wondered what they'd walked into. "What're these kids doin' here, Jeb?"

"They said they're just explorin'. Shall I let 'em go, Charlie?"

"Are you crazy? We can't let 'em go. The relay station ain't that far off. They'll go straight there and spill the beans now they seen us. Get 'em inside. We can tie 'em up and leave 'em here. By the time they're missed and someone comes lookin' for 'em we'll be long gone." He walked around to the rear of the cabin and Jeb waved his rifle at the boys, urging them to follow.

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Jack's frightened eyes met those of the younger boy's. "Did ya hear that Will?" He kept his voice low. "Come on… we gotta get out of here."

Will was too scared to move. "D'ya reckon they'll come after us?"

Jack grabbed hold of Will, pulling him back down the trail. He dragged him behind the rocks where they'd sheltered earlier. "They won't follow us if they don't know we're here and they won't know that as long as we don't make too much noise. The others oughta have enough sense not to tell 'em about us. There ain't nothin' we can do to help so let's get back down the trail aways. Quietly now… Once we're out of earshot we can make better time." Will let out a nervous whimper. "Aw, come on now Will. Don't start blubberin'. We ain't got time for that. We gotta get help."

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As Jeb ushered the boys into the back room of the old cabin, Zeke stood up. "What the hell's _he_ doin' here?"

"What're any of 'em doin' here?" Charlie grumbled. "Which one of 'em are you talkin' about?"

Billy was in the middle of rolling himself a quirly. "The little squirt with the red hair and freckles. Cain't ya see the likeness? That's Zeke's kid…"

Ben fired up at Billy's words. "He ain't my Pa! I hate him!"

Zeke lunged toward Ben and grabbing him by the arm he shook him hard. "Like it or not kid, you're mine but I ain't that fond of you either, so don't go pushin' yer luck."

"You're a real bad man." Ben said defiantly. "Ma said you was… but I ain't scared of you."

Zeke pushed Ben hard up against the wall. "Now, look here you scrawny little…"

"Let him alone Zeke. There ain't no call for that." Jeb grabbed Zeke's arm and pulled him away from the frightened child. "All right, kid. Take it easy… We ain't gonna hurt ya. Go back over there with your friends. They said they was just explorin' Charlie. They had no idea we was here. They're just a bunch of kids."

Zeke glared at Ben, with no hint in his cold eyes that he was looking at his own son. "Explorin' huh? Well, just you keep your pesky mouth shut or you won't be doin' any more explorin' for quite a while." He turned away and went to help Steve find enough rope to tie the boys up with.

Several minutes later, the boys had been herded into the front room of the cabin and securely tied.

Left alone, they leaned disconsolately up against the wall of the cabin. "What're we gonna do now?" Ben asked.

"Ain't much we can do." Otis told him. "Where d'ya reckon Jack and Will got to Mike?"

"Keep your voice down Otis." Mike whispered. "We don't want 'em to know about Jack and Will. With a bit of luck, they heard what happened and went for help."

Pat, the fourth boy nodded his head and he leaned close enough for the other boys to hear him as he whispered back. "They couldn't've been far behind us. They must've heard what happened. Jack's got a smart head on his shoulders. He'll get back to your place Mike and he'll tell Slim and Jess what's happened."

"I hope Slim don't come out here by himself. Jess isn't up to much at the moment and there's six of 'em. We just gotta stay quiet until help gets here. Don't do anythin' to make 'em mad. Maybe we can think of a way to warn Slim." Mike settled back against the wall. "I can't think of anythin' right now. If anyone has any ideas, now's the time to speak up. Tell ya what… why don't we play a guessin' game? It'll pass the time and keep our minds off what's happenin'. I can see somethin' beginnin' with 'c'…"

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Charlie glowered at Zeke. "Sometimes I think you're more trouble than you're worth. That darn kid o' yourn could've ruined the whole thing."

Zeke slammed his mug of coffee down on the table. "It ain't nothin' to do with me. It could've been any kid explorin' this place. You're the one who organised this. Not me. I didn't know they was in Laramie 'til we got there."

"Shut up you two." Jeb hissed. "It ain't worth arguin' amongst ourselves about this. There ain't no harm done. Look… It's past noon. We oughta make a move. There ain't no tellin' if the stage'll be on time. Might even be early."

Charlie nodded. "I reckon you're right, Jeb. I gotta get outta here anyway. This waitin' around is killin' me. What're those darn kids talkin' about in there? I can hear 'em whisperin'."

"They're playin' some sorta guessin' game." Billy grinned at Charlie's incredulous expression. "I heard 'em a few minutes ago when I came back from the necessary."

"Playin' a guessin' game? They got some spunk, I'll say that for 'em." Rising from the table, Charlie got up and kicked the door. "Keep quiet in there, you kids!" He put his ear to the door, grinning at the sudden silence and then indicated it was time to leave. Pete and Billy had saddled the horses earlier on and packed up the supplies they needed for the trail North. Damping down the fire in the stove, they filed out of the rear door and went over to the stable for their horses.

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Mike and the other three boys heard the sound of hooves as the men rode away from the cabin taking the back trail to the main road.

"I wonder if they've all gone. Maybe they left someone behind on guard." Mike listened for any sounds from the back room but hearing nothing he decided to take a chance. "Hey! You out there! I need the outhouse! Anyone there?" Mike shouted as loud as he could but there was no response. A loud rumble of thunder was the only sound to be heard and the boys looked at each other nervously. "At least they're gone and we can make a noise now. Maybe we can loosen these knots." Mike scooted around on his butt until his back was to Otis. "See if you can get 'em undone Otis."

Otis fumbled for several minutes to no effect. "It's no good, they're tied too tight. I can't shift 'em. I guess we just gotta wait for someone to find us."

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Jack stopped briefly and looked up at the sky. The sun had been eclipsed some time ago by the heavy grey storm clouds and the wind was funnelling down through the canyon, lifting little curls of dust from the dry trail. A loud rumble of thunder seemed to vibrate the air around them. "Jess told us this morning we might be in for a storm. I reckon he was right. Come on Will. We gotta get goin' again."

Will stumbled after Jack. "How much further is it?" He sounded nervous. Will was still scared of being followed by the men from the cabin and he was scared of being up in the canyons during a storm.

"I don't reckon we'll make it much before that storm breaks." Jack quickened his pace, urging Will to keep up. "The quicker we go, the quicker we'll get back. It ain't far now, but we need to speed up a bit. Ya gotta try, Will."

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Daisy made certain that Evie was sufficiently occupied and then she went out back and hurried over to the barn where Jess was keeping himself busy with the task of checking over and soaping the various spare sets of leather harness and reins. As she crossed the yard, the sun had already been obscured by ominous dark clouds and the thunder rumbled ever louder.

Perched on a hay bale, Jess looked up as the housekeeper entered the barn, a slightly worried expression on her normally smiling face. "Somethin' wrong Daisy?"

Daisy sat down on the hay bale next to Jess. "I don't really know Jess. There's probably no reason I should be worrying about those boys, but they ought to have been back by now and the thunder is getting closer. I'd hate for them to be caught out in a storm."

Putting down the harness he was working on, Jess stood up and walked over to the barn door, looking out. "It sure has clouded up in the last half hour and that storm's gonna break real soon." Daisy wasn't one to worry unnecessarily and when she did, Jess tended to take it seriously. He was worried about the boys himself and fed up with sitting around doing nothing. He went back over to Daisy. "Jack said they were headed to the lake and then they were gonna take Ben up to see the caves."

Raising an eyebrow, Daisy gave Jess a slightly sceptical look. "Yes… that's what Mike said they planned on doing too but you know those boys when they get together. You did say they wouldn't have much luck with fishing in this heat and they might just think the caves are a little too tame and head off somewhere else. And if those men _are_ up there…?"

Jess looked thoughtful. _And if the boys decided to explore the canyons…_ "They _have_ been gone a long while if that's all they were gonna get up to. They could've decided to take Ben to see the Wincanyon place… I know that's what you're worryin' about Daisy, but if Zeke and his friends were hangin' out there and they were plannin' on holdin' up the stage, I reckon they would've been gone by the time the boys got there. Did ya mention this to Evie?"

"No… I didn't say anything to Evie before I came over here. She tends to worry overmuch about Ben. I expect all this business with Zeke Patterson hasn't helped." Daisy stood up and put a hand on Jess's arm. "Jess… I really don't want you to do anything that's going to set back your recovery from that spider bite and Doctor Ellis said he would prefer it if you didn't ride for a few days but I just have a bad feeling about those boys." Her grip on Jess's arm tightened. "I suppose we could wait for Slim and Mort to get back, but…"

"They only left a short while ago and there's no tellin' when they might be back. They might even go straight to town." Jess took hold of the hand resting on his arm and gave it a squeeze. "I'll go take a look, Daisy but don't say anythin' to Evie. I don't want her tryin' to follow me. And don't get too worried about 'em. They probably just forgot what I told 'em about not wanderin' off too far."

"It's where they wandered off to that's worrying me. Thank you Jess. I would be a lot happier if you could find them and make sure they get back here safely." Daisy watched as Jess strode over to the stall where his horse was contentedly nosing into a bag of oats that Mike had filled before going out with the other boys.

Jess had brought the horses back into the barn as the storm had gotten closer and he now gave the bay a fond pat. "Come on fella. Get ya nose out of that bag. You've had more'n enough to eat." He gave the horse's broad back a quick groom before throwing the saddle blanket over it. A loud crack of thunder split the air and Traveller shifted irritably at being distracted from his snack.

Daisy hovered anxiously. "Jess…? You will be careful, won't you?"

"As careful as I can be Daisy." Jess lifted the saddle from the side of the stall. As he settled the saddle onto the blanket, a vivid flash of lightening briefly lit up the interior of the barn. "You'd better get back and keep Evie occupied at least until I'm gone. Is there any chance you could get my jacket without Evie seeing you?"

"I'll try but if she does, I'm sure I can think up some excuse." Daisy hurried from the barn and ran quickly back to the cabin as Jess picked up the bridle and finished tacking up his horse. He'd fumbled a little with the cinch, his usual dexterity reduced by the after-effects of the spider venom.

Daisy came running over with Jess's jacket as he led Traveller from the barn and he shrugged into it. "Did she see ya Daisy?"

"Yes, but I just said I didn't want you to get wet when you'd finished in the barn." Daisy laid her hand on Jess's arm again as if reluctant to let him go. "Promise me you'll be careful Jess."

Jess squeezed her hand. "I'll be fine Daisy. I promise… and don't tell Evie lest ya have to."

The first few sporadic drops of rain spattered onto the dry, dusty ground of the yard making little circles where they fell. Daisy let go of Jess's arm and stepped back as he mounted up and rode away up the grassy hill opposite the corral and then she turned and went quickly back to the cabin.

The heavy drops of rain quickly soaked into Jess's jacket but after a brief shower the rain began to ease and gradually ceased. Looking up at the heavy sky, Jess thought it wouldn't be long before the rain started falling in earnest and wondered just what the boys had got up to.

The wind rippled the long grass on the hillside but the passage of the six boys was obvious from the trampled stalks, and Jess found it easy to follow their tracks along the short distance to the lake. There was no sign of the boys when he got there, but a wide patch of trampled ground showed clearly where they'd stopped by the water's edge to fish. He picked up again on their trail but when the grass on the hillside gave way to the stony ground of the foothills, the boys' trail became harder to follow. Despite this, Jess managed to follow the tracks that had been undisturbed by the short rain shower. Partway to the cave, the trail led off to the left. Reining in his horse, Jess turned slightly in the saddle, easing his lower back as he looked around. _His right hand felt stiff and awkward and he flexed it a few times while he studied the sparse tracks._

Jess dismounted to taker a closer look. The boys had definitely turned off where the trail divided but it was obvious to Jess that someone on horseback had been that way before the boys. A closer look at the tracks convinced Jess that it had been more than two horses. _Mike should've seen these hoofprints. They were clear enough. Probably havin' too much fun to even notice._ The tracks leading up to the cave were scuffed and confused. _They went up to the caves all right but then they came back this way._ The caves in the upper reaches of the foothills were a favourite haunt of the local boys but there was another place nearby that was prohibited because of the danger and it promised more excitement for a bunch of boys out of school for the summer.

Frowning worriedly, Jess mounted Traveller and urged him up the trail that veered off to the left away from the caves. After a few yards of rocky ground that retained no tracks, either of whoever had passed this way on horseback, or the passage of six boys, he found a patch of ground scuffed with small footprints that confirmed the boys had gone to the canyons, but the earlier tracks led that way too. Jess told himself that Mike knew how dangerous the canyons and the many hidden mine shafts could be and he was unlikely to go climbing around in even the lower elevations of the rocky, mountainous area, but it didn't help much. It wasn't the canyons he was worried about now.

Grimly, Jess nudged Traveller on. The boys' tracks never veered from the main trail and he was certain now that the boys were not exploring the canyons, but had taken the trail to the old Wincanyon place. He spurred Traveller to a quicker pace. If the stage was to be their target, the intending lawbreakers would no longer be at the cabin… _Most likely it's all over by now, whatever the outcome… but what if Mike and the boys had gotten to the cabin before Zeke and Baines's gang had left… and what if they'd got caught_ … It didn't bear thinking about and Jess's unease over the safety of the boys increased.

The storm had been drawing steadily closer, the intervals between the rolls of thunder and the flashes of vivid lightning becoming shorter. The clouds had so far surrendered only short intermittent bouts of rain but as Jess rode further into the canyons, the thunder boomed louder than before, reverberating around the surrounding mountains and making Traveller edgy. Without warning, the heavy clouds gave up their burden and the rain came down in a sheet. The torrential rain restricted Jess's visibility and dulled any other sound which might otherwise have been audible. Jess pulled the collar of his jacket up and as he approached a bend in the trail he heard the faint sound of high-pitched voices over the downpour, followed by what could have been the scuffling of boots on the stony ground. Before he had a chance to draw his rifle from its leather case, two boys rounded the bend and failing to recognise Jess in the downpour they skidded to a halt on the muddy trail, unmistakeable fear reflected in their eyes.

In panic, Will crashed against Jack as he struggled to backtrack but the older boy gave a sudden exclamation of relief and hauled him back. "It's OK Will… It's only Jess." He looked up at Jess with a weak grin. "Gee… are we glad to see you, Jess. You… you sure gave us a scare." Jack flopped wearily down onto a pile of rocks at the side of the trail and Will sank down next to him.

Dismounting quickly, Jess untied his rain slicker and led his horse over to Jack and Will, keeping a grip on the reins. Under normal circumstances, he would have ground tied Traveller, but the horse was unhappy with the building storm and Jess was unwilling to risk being left afoot should Traveller become spooked and bolt.

He threw the rain slicker over the boys' shoulders and they gripped it around them thankfully. "You two look as if you was scared before ya even saw me. Why're you in such an all-fired hurry and where're the others?" Placing one foot on the rock the boys were sitting on and resting an elbow on his bent knee he waited for an explanation.

Jack looked up at Jess as he pushed back the wet hair plastered to his face. He'd lost his hat as they ran and they'd been too frightened to stop and go back for it. "They got took by a coupla men at the Wincanyon place." Jess's face took on a stony expression and Jack quailed.

"What the heck were ya doin' in the canyons in the first place?" At the boys' stricken expressions, Jess relented. "Look… I ain't mad at either of you. I'm mad at the men who took Mike and Ben and the others. I'm worried about the boys and the quicker I get after 'em the better."

"It's… it's my fault Mr Harper." Will stuttered nervously. "I said we oughta go see the canyons. Mike didn't wanna go and no more did Jack, but once I'd mentioned the canyons Ben wanted to know what they were. One thing led to another after that."

"We all made the decision to go, Will." Jack wasn't ready to let Will take all the blame. "Me and Mike reckoned it'd be OK to go through the canyons if all we did was take a look around the Wincanyon place. We did go to the caves first but then we backtracked and took the trail up to the old cabin."

"I figured that much out from your tracks." Jess told him. "How'd ya get split up?"

"We stopped for somethin' to eat and a drink of Mrs Cooper's lemonade. Me and Will were last to get the jar and the others went on ahead. By the time we'd nearly caught 'em up, they was at the cabin. I smelled wood smoke so we stopped before we got around that last bend and then we heard voices. There were a couple of men there. The first one asked what they were doin' there. He didn't sound too pleased to see 'em but he would've let 'em go. It was the other man who told 'em to get inside. He said they couldn't let 'em go in case they gave the game away. He was real angry. There weren't nothin' we could do, so we stayed back until they'd gone and then started out back to the ranch to get help."

"How long ago was that?"

"About half an hour ago. We had to stop a coupla times to get our breath back."

Jess squatted down next to the boys. "You did good, both of you. I need you to get back to the ranch as quick as you can. Slim and Mort should be there by the time you get back but if not, you wait for 'em. If they ain't back in a coupla hours old Ben Stokes'll be at the relay station to help with the teams. Get him to ride to town for help and make sure you tell Daisy to keep Evie there." Jess stood upright wincing at the slight cramp in his abdomen. He couldn't afford to give in to a return of the unpleasant effects of the spider venom. He mounted up and turned Traveller to face the boys. "You two gonna be OK?"

Jack yanked Will to his feet. "Sure we will, Jess and thanks for the slicker. Come on Will. It's only thunder."

Jess watched until the boys were out of sight and then he nudged Traveller forward. Will had been near to tears but Jess knew Jack wouldn't let him give up. That boy had a lot of guts for one so young. Lightning could be a real danger up in the mountains but they didn't have far to go. They should be back at the ranch in a half hour or so.

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The stage made good time from Cheyenne and was ahead of schedule, until the rain that was. The horses were nervous and the heavy rain turned the trail to mud and cut down visibility, forcing the driver to slow the team. Jake Mills flicked the reins, encouraging his team of four sweating horses around the last sharp bend of the long, steep section of road. "Better keep your eyes skinned on this stretch Vince!" He had to shout to be heard over the rain and thunder, the pounding of the horses hooves, and the rattle and jingle of the traces, but the old shotgun rider nodded his understanding and gestured with his weapon to show his readiness for trouble. As they reached the top of the rise and rounded the bend, Jake was ready for the emergence of the group of riders across the road several yards ahead. They'd picked their spot well, but Jake had half-expected trouble at this point. Vince thumped the roof of the stage to warn the guards riding inside and then opened fire on the outlaws. Jake pulled hard on the reins, forcing the team to a halt. He slammed the brake on, and both men leapt down and took cover behind the stage as the riders raced toward it, firing their guns in the air. As they drew close, the stage doors flew open and they were met with a hail of bullets.

The outlaws struggled to bring their startled horses under control while at the same time returning fire, but they had no cover except for the torrential rain and that obscured their own vision. Zeke, hanging back in the rear saw Pete fall from his horse and Billy laying along his mount's neck as he tried to regain the reins. He felt the sting of a bullet as it grazed his upper arm and grateful for the first time for the curtain of heavy rain he yanked his horse around and headed for the back trail that Charlie had led them down a short time earlier.

As he regained his mount's reins, Billy saw Zeke in his peripheral vision, turning his horse toward the back trail. Torn between loyalty to his fallen brother and saving himself by following Zeke, he hesitated a moment too long and felt a searing pain as a bullet tore into his side. Gritting his teeth and fighting against the darkness that threatened to overwhelm him, he rode after Zeke.

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By the time Zeke was within a few hundred yards of the cabin the storm had begun to move away and the rain had eased to little more than a fine drizzle. Zeke reined his horse to a halt on the muddy trail. His breath quickened and his heart thudded against his ribcage as he caught the sound of hooves behind him, but it sounded as if it was only one horse and he'd seen no riders accompanying the stage. He forced himself to calm down and drew his rifle from its sheath aiming it up the trail. As the horse and its rider came into sight, he let out his breath in a whoosh of relief and sheathed the rifle.

Zeke sat his horse waiting for Billy to came up to him. He was bent low over the neck of his horse, bleeding from a bullet wound in his side. Zeke cursed their luck. None of them had got a good look at Charlie's map and he had no idea where to find the trail Charlie had told them about that led up through the higher range. His brain played over recent events. _Why the extra guards? Had Charlie's friend given 'em away? Or had he got hisself caught out?_ _They'd worked it out down to the last detail, but how could they have known about those extra guards?_ Zeke knew he could find his own way to the Boseman trail but he wasn't about to be slowed down by playing nursemaid to Billy, even if he was a friend. _No… Billy's gonna have to take his chances at the cabin. Someone'll come lookin' for those boys and if Billy's still alive, they'll take him back to Laramie to stand trial._

 _If it hadn't been for that darn kid of mine turnin' up at the cabin like that I could've just taken the main road once I got past Laramie._ He sniggered to himself. _I don't reckon I'd be too welcome in Laramie right now. Still, it don't take more'n five minutes to ride through it. I reckon if I wait 'til nightfall, ain't no one gonna even notice me and it_ _ain't as if I'm wanted by the law. I don't reckon the stage driver or the shotgun rider got a good look at me or Billy. We was well back from the others and the rain was so darn heavy they couldn't have seen us clearly._ A sudden thought struck him and he felt a cold shiver down his spine that had nothing to do with being wet through from the rain. _Hell, what about Pete though. I forgot about Pete. They'll take him on to Laramie whether he's dead or alive and once Mort Cory gets a look at him…_ He realised it didn't matter now whether he'd been seen with Charlie or not. He had no choice. He'd have to find the trail that Charlie had told them about. He told himself there couldn't be that many trails to choose from and if he took one of the boys along with him as hostage he'd have some leverage if they caught up with him. _It'll have to be Ben or that kid Sherman and Harper adopted. I could take 'em both if I put 'em up on Billy's horse but it'll be real hard to keep an eye on 'em and it'll be slow goin' if I tie their hands. I don't reckon kids of their age could sit a horse with both hands tied anyway. Maybe I'll just take Harper's adopted kid and ride double. It's hard on the horse but I could take Billy's along as a spare and spell it with mine. I'll make better time that way._ Zeke grabbed the reins of Billy's horse and led it down the muddy trail toward the cabin.

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At the sudden volley of shots, Mort reined in his horse and tried to judge the direction of the shooting. Any sound reaching them over the storm was dulled and the lack of visibility was disorienting, like riding through thick fog. "It's comin' from up ahead." He yelled. "The exit from that canyon can't be much further." He urged his horse forward into a gallop and the others followed.

When they came on the stage, the gun fight was over. The guards were watching the surviving outlaws while Jake and Vince calmed the nervous horses. Charlie was sitting on the muddy ground in the rain, leaning up against the stage as he nursed a broken shoulder; his horse had been shot from under him and he'd been injured as he fell. Jeb, unscathed, sat next to him having thrown down his gun in surrender. The sodden bodies of Steve and Pete lay in the mud beside the road, but there was no sign of either Zeke or Billy. Vince grabbed his shotgun as Mort and the others approached but on seeing the Sheriff's badge and recognising Slim, he lowered it and waited for them to dismount. One of the guards grabbed a canvas sheet from the boot of the stage and threw it over the bodies of the men.

Mort dismounted, and Slim took the reins of his horse and led it over to the side of the road, following Lon and Danny. The guards were handcuffing the two surviving outlaws and hustling them into the coach as Mort walked over to the driver. "I guess we got here just a little too late."

"Maybe not Sheriff." Slim and Danny joined Mort, leaving Lon with the horses and dogs. Jake nodded a greeting to the two men. "There were two more of 'em. They managed to get away but I reckon I got one of 'em. You might wanna get after 'em." Jake pointed back down the road in the direction of Laramie. "They went in that direction. You must've seen 'em unless they turned off the road. Maybe you can pick up their tracks if the rain hasn't washed 'em away." He looked up at the sky. "Seems to be easin' off a bit now."

Slim looked in the direction the driver was pointing. "We didn't see 'em so they must've gone back to the Wincanyon place."

"Just what I was thinking." Mort walked over to the canvas sheet and lifted it. He shook his head sadly. "Pete Yates. Billy's younger brother. I don't know the other one."

"The other one is Steve Wilkins." Mort turned to find Danny looking over his shoulder.

"Looks like Zeke and Billy were the ones that got away then." Mort turned to the guards and indicated the bodies. "Did their horses bolt or you got 'em?"

One of the guards nodded his head toward the three horses standing with their reins tied to the back of the stage. "We've got three of 'em. One of the horses was shot. We put it out of it's misery." He indicated the pitiful body of the horse lying on the other side of the road. "We're gonna load these two onto their horses and take 'em with us to Laramie."

"I'll get my deputy to ride back with you. He can take your statements and fill out the paperwork. We're goin' after the others. You two with me?" He asked Slim and Danny.

Danny nodded. "I haven't trailed 'em all this way to lose 'em now."

"Count me in." Slim gave Danny a slap on the back. "Those two dogs of yours any good in this situation?"

"They've been ridin' with the Texas Rangers a good few years now. They know what to do."

The dogs were sitting quietly at Lon's feet as he held onto the reins of the horses, but as Danny and Mort approached, they stood up and shook their coats vigorously. Lon stepped quickly out of the way as drops of water and mud flew past him, missing him only narrowly. Mort couldn't help an amused chuckle.

"I don't know what you're worried about Lon, you couldn't get much wetter that you are already. Go back to town with the stage will you? They'll give you their statements. With a bit of luck, I'll be back there with Zeke and Billy in a while." He turned to Danny and Slim. "Well, if you're comin' with me, quit standin' around talkin' and let's get goin'."

The storm had passed as the three men mounted up. Slim led them down the road to the back trail leading to the deserted cabin in the canyons.

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Zeke helped Billy down from his horse and over to the back door of the cabin. "Wait here while I get the horses into the stable. If we've been followed…?"

Billy sunk down on the ground and leaned back against the cabin until Zeke emerged from the barn. "Those guards were ridin' in the stage. They didn't have any horses with 'em."

"No… but they got three horses now." Zeke looked savage. "Charlie's horse went down, I saw him. They got Pete too. I reckon they must've got Steve and Jeb as well, but I didn't see 'em fall. There was a lot of lead flyin' around." Zeke led the two horses into the stable and came out a few minutes later. "I won't unsaddle 'em. I can't stop here long. Someone's gonna be lookin' for those boys, but I need a chance to think things through." He yanked Billy to his feet and hauled him through the door of the cabin, easing him down onto the tattered old sofa. "Stay here…".

He opened the door to the front room of the cabin and found four pairs of wary eyes watching him. "So… the knots were too tight for ya, huh?" He looked out of the front window, scanning the clearing and turned to Mike. "OK kids. There's a back trail around here leads up through the mountains to Medicine Bow. Any of you know where it is?"

The boys all shook their heads, denying knowledge of the trail.

"Useless darn bunch, ain't ya?" He looked down at Mike. "I'm takin' you with me when I leave, so get yerself used to the idea." He saw the fear in Mike's eyes and grinned maliciously. "This'll sure teach ya to go pokin' around where ya ain't wanted." He went back out to the kitchen to check on Billy but as he returned to the front room he saw Mike's eyes flick quickly away from the window.

He took another careful look out of the window and caught a flash of movement near the side of the cabin.

"I guess someone's come lookin' for ya sooner than I thought. Well, he's gonna find more'n he bargained for. Keep yer mouths shut all of ya. One sound out of any of ya and none of ya'll get back to tell the tale. And that includes you kid." Glaring at Ben, Zeke checked his gun and loaded two more bullets into the empty chambers. Then he leaned back against the wall beside the open door and waited.

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Jess reined in his horse when he saw the boys' fishing rods lying in the mud beside a pile of rocks. The cabin was just a few minutes up the trail. The storm had moved away and the rain had stopped ten minutes ago. Jess was soaked through and he was miserable. Despite the warmth of the afternoon he felt chilled and shivery. He dismounted and tied Traveller's reins to the overhanging branch of a cottonwood tree. "You'd better wait here fella. There ain't no tellin' who I'm gonna find there and I don't want you givin' me away." He drew his gun and walked cautiously up the trail, ignoring the vicious headache and the nausea that accompanied it. He could see no sign of occupation as he surveyed the clearing and the cabin from the cover of a patch of scrub oak. Holding his gun ready, he emerged from behind the scrub oak and worked his way around the periphery of the clearing until he was standing by the windowless side of the cabin. Keeping his back to the wooden boards he edged along the front of the cabin until he reached the bare window, risking a careful glance into the room. The four boys were tied up and leaning against one side of the room but he could see no one else. The door leading to the kitchen was open as was the rear door of the cabin. He saw Mike's eyes catch his briefly as Zeke entered the room. Jess drew back quickly and darted quickly back to the side of the cabin. He didn't think Zeke had seen him, but Mike had and Zeke could've caught that brief flicker of recognition. He made his way cautiously along the side of the cabin to the rear.

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Mike caught a quick glimpse of Jess's face as he peered in through the window but Jess drew back before he could signal to him that Zeke was in the next room. Zeke chose that moment to return to the front room. He'd seen Jess as he looked out of the window. Was Jess with Slim? Mike knew there was no safe way to warn either of them now but he couldn't just let Zeke shoot them down.

Zeke strained to hear any sound from outside the cabin. He heard the horses moving around in the stable but it was a good few minutes before he heard the faint sound of boots squelching on muddy ground. The sounds paused for a second or two before starting again, closer to the rear door. He pressed back against the wall, aiming his gun at the boys in warning before holding it at the ready, against the wall beside him.

Mike and the boys could see the open rear door of the cabin from where they sat and they fixed their eyes on it. None of them dared to make a sound. Mike held his breath, the few seconds seeming like hours.

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Jess trod carefully around to the rear of the cabin. He noted the fresh hoofprints in the mud of the back trail. _So… looks like only Zeke made it back here…_ He studied the tracks more carefully. _Make that Zeke and one other._ Moving cautiously, he paused by the stable and peered through the half-open door. _Yeah… two of 'em._ One of the horses shifted nervously and snorted and Jess froze for a moment.

He edged over to the rear door of the cabin trying to move quietly, but he was painfully aware of the sound of the sticky mud sucking at his boots. They must've heard him. He backed up against the rear wall of the cabin and edged toward the open door. He peered carefully in and saw Billy lying on the couch. _OK… so one of 'em's out of action…_ He scanned the room and saw the open door to the living room where the boys were sitting. _Zeke could be in the bedroom. Or the front room… I gotta be real careful… the boys are in there._

The pounding in Jess's head seemed to intensify and he swallowed back a wave of nausea, blinking to clear his vision. Jess edged into the kitchen and moved toward the open door of the bedroom, keeping his back against the wall. He looked into the bedroom, scanning the room quickly. _Empty…_ Most of the boys were studiously avoiding looking at what he was doing but he could see Otis watching him. _He's gotta be in the front room. I wish that kid'd quit lookin' at me. It's a dead giveaway. Zeke's gotta know my every move. He gestured with a flick of his head at Otis trying to get him to look away but the kid's expression questioned him._ There was only one thing to do and that was to rush him.

Jess moved cautiously around the sofa where Billy was lying. He was holding on to his gun but his eyes were closed and his gun hand was resting limply on the sofa beside him. _Unconscious or asleep…? There ain't no tellin'._ Steeling himself, Jess made a dash for the doorway, just as Mike cried out to him in warning. _Hell… Zeke knew he was comin' for sure now…_ Jess leapt through the door, gun aimed to the right where he was sure the outlaw was standing. Zeke's foot shot out and caught him in the gut and Jess's stomach reacted to the blow with a painful cramp as he fell back against the far wall. He rolled to one side as best he could, bringing his gun hand up at the same time but his body betrayed him. His reactions were slower than usual and his gun hand seized up. Jess's gun dropped from his hand and Zeke fired as the boys cried out in horror.

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

Slim led the trio of men down the muddy trail, following the tracks of the outlaws. As they neared the cabin, the dogs, who had been following along behind, raced forward excitedly. Mort reined his horse in and the others followed suit, Danny calling his dogs to heel. They returned, but looked up at him questioningly, obviously anxious to get to the cabin. Danny dismounted, gesturing to the dogs to follow. Mort and Slim looked at each other, Mort's eyebrow raising in typical fashion. Danny peered in through the open door as a shot rang out. The dogs leapt through the door and the men heard another shot, the sound of breaking glass, a strangled cry, a loud crash followed by the growling of the dogs, a man's scream, and the loud shouting and cheering of the boys.

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

Jess felt the searing pain of Zeke's bullet and tensed himself for the fatal shot. Two flashes of grey fur hurtled through the door and hit Zeke full in the chest and his shot went wild, breaking the glass of the front window. Zeke gave a strangled cry as he was thrown to the floor, the dogs snapping their jaws closed on his shirt sleeves. They growled furiously and shook them as if they each had a rat or a rabbit. The fabric of the shirt ripped and the dogs' jaws gripped Zeke's arms instead. Zeke screamed in fear and pain but the boys cheered loudly on seeing the dogs. Danny charged into the room and Jess sank back against the wall, partly in relief and partly from pain. Zeke's bullet had found a painful mark but not the one he was aiming for. Jess was seized by another cramp and gritted his teeth against the pain and the nausea that assailed him. Not sure which pain was worse, he concentrated on the pleasing spectacle of Zeke pinned to the floor by Danny's two dogs.

o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o o0o

Mort and Slim followed Danny into the kitchen. Billy was sitting up groggily on the sofa, his gun aimed waveringly through the doorway to the front room. Danny kicked the gun from his hand in passing and leapt through the open door followed by Slim. Mort stopped long enough to clasp a pair of handcuffs around Billy's wrists and when he entered the front room, Jess was lying back against the wall, his face tight with pain and his left hand clasped around his upper right arm with Slim kneeling next to him. Zeke was pinned to the floor by the two dogs, his arms gripped on either side by strong jaws. He looked terrified and at his slightest movement, the dogs tugged at his arms, their growling increasing in volume. Assured that all immediate concerns were being attended to, he made his way past the dogs to check on the boys.

"Get 'em off me will ya? Get 'em off me…!" Zeke struggled as Danny stood watching, in no hurry to bring his dogs to heel.

"If you was to stop thrashin' around like that, they'd settle down." Danny was tempted to leave him to the dogs but he called them off and held his gun on Zeke. "You got any more of those hand cuffs Mort?" The dogs stood on alert, Bidzi giving a low warning growl in his throat.

Mort was busy cutting through the various knots in the ropes tying the boys but he paused to toss a pair of cuffs over. Danny caught them deftly in his left hand and hauling Zeke to a sitting position, he clasped the cuffs around his wrists.

Zeke looked more indignant than hurt but he whined nevertheless. "I'm bleedin', cain't ya see that? Those dogs near killed me. Keep 'em away from me, will ya? I hate dogs."

Danny checked his arms. "They're just bruised. The skin ain't hardly broken. Those dogs can carry an egg without breakin' it. Just quit whinin' and get over against that wall or I'll set the dogs on ya again. Ain't no one interested in you any more." Danny waved Zeke over against the far wall and he shuffled over on his butt.

Released from their guard duty, Bidzi and Yuma padded over to Ben and started licking the boy's face. "I'm OK fellas. Hey Mike, guys… These are Danny's dogs I told ya about. Meet Bidzi… It's short for Bidziil; that's Navajo for 'He who is strong' and this is Yuma; it means 'Son of the chief'. They're Indian dogs…" he chatted away happily about the dogs, apparently undisturbed by his experience. The boys petted the dogs until they got up and padded over to Jess, sniffing at his wound and licking his face in greeting, as Slim checked his injury.

Slim prised Jess's hand away from his arm to check the wound. It didn't look too bad but Jess was grey-faced. "Are you hit somewhere else, Jess?"

Despite the pain, Jess grinned as he turned his face to one side to avoid another licking from the dogs. "I'm OK Slim. It ain't that bad… but it would've been a heck of a lot worse if it hadn't been for these two." He stroked his left hand through the fur of the nearest dog. "It's just… that darned spider bite. I got the cramps again… and a blindin' headache. Can you get me… some water? I don't… feel so good."

The hole in the fleshy part of Jess's upper arm was oozing blood and there was no exit wound so the bullet was still in there. Slim pulled his spare bandana from his back pocket. "Just let me put somethin' round this first."

"I'll get one of the canteens. You just see to Jess." Danny went out into the kitchen.

"Water's good here and the pump in the kitchen still works!" Slim called out. He heard Danny working the pump and the ex-Ranger came back in carrying a tin mug of water. He knelt down next to Slim and handed the cold water to Jess.

Jess took the water in a shaking hand and took a few sips before handing the mug back. The dogs tucked themselves up against Jess as if offering comfort and he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, resigning himself to Slim's ministrations. Zeke watched him from the other side of the room. "What's up Harper?" He sneered. "That little spider bite still givin' you trouble?"

Jess opened his eyes wearily and looked across at the outlaw leaning up against the opposite wall. "Hey Zeke…" he called over. "I forgot all about you. Seems… you ain't had too much luck in Laramie." He paused. "You've been… a mite busy I guess. It's a real shame it was all for nothin'. Still… you're gonna get a nice long rest now. And seein' as you like dogs so much, you'll be real happy… at the state penitentiary. They got some real nice guard dogs there." He leaned his head back against the wall, grinning happily at the sight of Zeke lost for words.

The sound of a buckboard rattling along the trail to the cabin had Slim and Mort rushing over to look out of the broken glass of the front window. Ben Stokes reined in the team of horses short of the clearing and sat looking uncertainly toward the cabin, reaching a hand hesitantly toward the rifle at his side.

"It's OK Ben. Come on ahead." Slim called out through the broken window. He opened the door to the cabin and stood waiting for Ben to bring the buckboard up to the front of the cabin. "You were takin' a real chance comin' up here."

Ben stepped inside and looked around the room, curiosity written all over his face.

"Jack and Will got back to your place about the same time as the stage pulled in. We got the whole story from the boys and from Jake and Vince. I changed the team and Lon went on to Laramie with the stage. Evie was beside herself with worryin' about young Ben here and Daisy thought the boys…" he nodded toward the four boys "…would be glad of a ride back so I brought the buckboard up for ya. I reckoned the four of ya could handle Zeke and Billy. Where's Billy by the way?"

"Billy's in the kitchen takin' it easy." Slim told him. "He could do with a bit of doctorin' so I reckon he'll be glad of a ride back too."


	14. Chapter 14

Epilogue – A Touch of Spideritis

The late summer evening offered a hint of the cooler fall air as Jess sat on the swing seat on William Emerson's veranda, Danny's two dogs nestled at his feet. The party was still in full swing and Jess thought it was a good thing the weather had held fine for the wedding. _It's a big house but it ain't big enough for all these folk…_

After all that had happened in the brief time since the Emersons had moved to Laramie, and in light of the support Evie had received from the townsfolk, Evie and Danny had issued an open invitation to their wedding. The Women's Group had thrown themselves whole-heartedly into preparing for the big day, and the trestle tables were groaning with the weight of the food and drink that had been brought along by the guests.

At the sound of footsteps on the wooden boards of the veranda Jess looked up to see Slim and Mort standing beside him looking out at the dancing couples.

"You OK Jess?" Slim sat down next to him on the swing seat and Mort perched himself on the veranda rail.

Taking a breath of the sweet night air, Jess considered for a moment. "Yeah Slim… I reckon I'm fine. It's real good to see everyone enjoyin' 'emselves." He gave a sideways look at Slim and a slow grin spread across his face. "I was just thinkin' on how well it all turned out."

Slim and Mort looked at each other and then at Jess.

"You were…?" Mort asked.

"Yeah, sure I was. Why wouldn't I?" Jess looked back at him, still grinning.

Mort raised his eyebrows in exasperation. "Well… you just don't ever seem to get the girl in the end. It all seemed to be goin' real well between you and Evie before Danny turned up. How are you really feelin' about this weddin' Jess?"

"Danny's been a Texas Ranger for more'n eight years. He's gonna be a farmer from now on, and I just wonder how long it'll be before he starts missin' the Rangers. I guess he's gonna feel the call of the Big Open sometimes just like I did. He ain't used to stayin' in one place and it takes a heck of a lot of gettin' used to. I don't mean he'll get fed up with Evie." He looked a little wistful for a moment. "She's a real sweetheart and they're about made for each other, but that sorta change can be hard for a man to deal with."

Jess felt a wet nose pressed into the palm of his hand. Yuma, always sensitive to the moods of his friends offered the comfort of a lick and Jess stroked the soft fur.

"Thanks Yuma. I appreciate that fella, but I'm OK." He looked up at Slim and Mort, still idly stroking the soft fur of the big dog. "I'll admit to bein' real fond of Evie but I was never cut out to be a farmer and that's what Evie would've wanted from me. I don't reckon I could've settled to it, and I was feelin' kinda relieved I don't have to look out for her anymore. She's got Danny and he'll look out for her and Ben from now on."

Mort looked over his shoulder to watch Danny and Evie dancing together, and then he turned back to his two friends. "You know Jess…? I think Danny's already missin' the Rangers. There's no way he would've missed out on catchin' up with Zeke and the two Yates brothers. When I asked him if he'd be willin' to spell you and Slim with standing in for me as deputy or maybe join up with a posse from time to time, he jumped at it like a trout to a fly."

Slim leaned down and stroked Bidzi who was nudging at Jess's hand. "You feelin' a little left out boy?" He received a grateful lick for his trouble. "I reckon these boys might do some trackin' for us too."

Jess stood up and stretched. "I reckon you're right and there ain't many posses can boast a pair of trackers like these." He smiled to himself pensively as he watched the dancing couples. "You know… Evie told me once she used to think of me as one o' those knights in shinin' armour. When she was a kid that is…"

Slim gave a shout of laughter. "She… You…? As a what…? You mean as in the knights of the round table?" Slim gave another hoot of laughter. "Sir Launcelot Harper… or should that be Sir Galahad Harper?" He struggled to gain control of himself while Mort looked on, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "I… I'm sorry Jess… It… It just doesn't seem quite right for you."

Jess gave a sheepish grin. "It sure ain't right and that's the whole point. I remember readin' some poetry and stories about those knights in your books Slim. That armour they had to wear must've been real heavy. I reckon it'd take a horse like one of William's Percherons to carry one of 'em. It ain't fer me and I don't reckon Trav could handle it, either. Danny's shoulders are a heck of a lot broader'n mine so I figure he can wear that shinin' armour a lot better'n I can. So… we goin' back to the dance? I'm promised a slow waltz with Miss McNeal and I ain't gonna miss out on that."

Later in the evening, just before Evie and Danny slipped away from the celebrations, Evie tossed her bouquet into the large crowd of guests. Jess, now only too well aware of the significance of catching the bride's bouquet kept his hands well down as he stood next to Slim and Mort. Susie O'Brien, standing just in front of them, gave an exclamation of delight as she caught the bouquet. Turning to her friends with a triumphant laugh, her eyes alighted on Slim and Jess, and she regarded them with a sly, speculative smile.

Mort suppressed an amused grin but his eyes twinkled. "You two'd better look out…" he said under his breath.

Jess winced and put out an unsteady hand to Slim. "Er… Slim? I don't feel so good. Maybe I got a touch of that… er… spideritis comin' on again? D'ya think ya could give me a hand back to the veranda?"

"Huh? Oh… sure Jess… Let's get you outta here. Excuse us would you, Susie? Jess ain't feelin' so good. I reckon he needs to lie down in a darkened room or somethin'." Slim took Jess by the arm and hustled him away. "What the heck is spideritis…?"

"I ain't sure Hardrock, but it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Well, you just listen up Hotshot, it got us out of a jam this time, but don't try it on me when it's your turn to clean out the stalls."

"Hey, Slim…?"

"What, Jess…?

"About that darkened room? D'ya reckon you could get that new saloon girl of Sam's to lie down with me?"

o0o The End o0o


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